CVE-2026-85657
Received Received - Intake

Stored XSS in PublishPress Authors WordPress Plugin

Publication date: 2026-09-15

Last updated on: 2026-09-15

Assigner: Wordfence

Description
The Co-Authors, Multiple Authors and Guest Authors in an Author Box with PublishPress Authors plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via the ‘profile_fields_user_email_value_prefix’ parameter in all versions up to, and including, 4.15.0 due to insufficient input sanitization and output escaping. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Author-level access and above, to inject arbitrary web scripts in pages that will execute whenever a user clicks on a link.

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Meta Information

Published
2026-09-15
Last Modified
2026-09-15
Generated
2026-09-15
AI Q&A
2026-09-15
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
CVE-2026-85657
EUVD
EUVD-2026-78244

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 1 associated CPE
Vendor Product Version / Range
publishpress authors to 4.15.0 (inc)

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-79 The product does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes user-controllable input before it is placed in output that is used as a web page that is served to other users.

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Executive Summary

This vulnerability is a Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) flaw in the PublishPress Authors WordPress plugin. It allows authenticated attackers with Author-level access or higher to inject malicious scripts via the 'profile_fields_user_email_value_prefix' parameter. The issue arises due to insufficient input sanitization and output escaping in versions up to 4.15.0.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability requires checking WordPress sites using the PublishPress Authors plugin up to version 4.15.0. Manually inspect plugin versions in the WordPress admin panel or via file system checks for the plugin directory. No specific commands are provided in the context.

Impact Analysis

An attacker could exploit this to inject malicious scripts into pages. When users click affected links, the scripts execute, potentially stealing session cookies, redirecting to phishing sites, or performing actions on behalf of the user. This requires Author-level access or higher to exploit.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability could lead to unauthorized data access or modification, violating GDPR's integrity and confidentiality principles. For HIPAA, it may risk protected health information exposure. Compliance failures could result in legal penalties or reputational damage.

Mitigation Strategies

Update the PublishPress Authors plugin to the latest version beyond 4.15.0 immediately. Remove or restrict Author-level access for untrusted users until patched. Monitor for suspicious script injections in user profiles or posts.

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