Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2021-36844 is a low-severity stored XSS issue in MyThemeShop WP Subscribe for WordPress versions 1.2.12 and earlier. It requires an authenticated administrator-level user and user interaction, so business urgency is limited. Exposure matters where plugin administration is delegated or admin accounts may be compromised.
Executive priority
Handle during normal vulnerability remediation unless this plugin is deployed on sensitive, high-traffic, or shared-administration WordPress sites. Prioritize confirming exposure and removing unnecessary plugin risk over emergency response.
Technical view
The issue is CWE-79 stored XSS with CVSS v3.1 score 3.4 and vector AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:R/S:C/C:N/I:L/A:N. Sources identify the affected product as WP Subscribe for WordPress, versions 1.2.12 and earlier. No source bundle evidence names a specific fixed version.
Likely exposure
Likely exposure is WordPress sites running MyThemeShop WP Subscribe version 1.2.12 or earlier. Risk is narrower because exploitation requires high privileges, but affected sites should still treat plugin admin areas as part of the attack surface.
Exploitation context
The source bundle does not show CISA KEV listing or active exploitation evidence. The CVSS vector indicates network reachability, low attack complexity, high privileges required, user interaction required, changed scope, and limited integrity impact.
Researcher notes
Evidence supports authenticated administrator-level stored XSS only. The bundle does not provide exploit details, affected parameters, proof of active exploitation, or a named fixed version. Avoid expanding scope beyond MyThemeShop WP Subscribe <= 1.2.12.
Mitigation direction
- Inventory WordPress sites for the WP Subscribe plugin and installed version.
- Review MyThemeShop, WordPress.org, and Patchstack guidance for a fixed or recommended version.
- Update the plugin if trusted vendor guidance identifies a safe release.
- Disable or remove the plugin where it is unused or cannot be validated.
- Restrict WordPress administrator access to trusted users with MFA.
Validation and detection
- Confirm whether WP Subscribe is installed on each WordPress site.
- Record the installed plugin version and compare it with <= 1.2.12.
- Review administrator account assignments and recent admin activity.
- Check vendor and Patchstack pages for remediation status.
- Verify no untrusted users have administrator-level WordPress access.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-79: User-session and phishing behavior lookup
Client-side and session-facing weaknesses should be reviewed alongside initial-access and user-execution behaviors. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2021-36844 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Low
- CVSS
- 3.4 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:R/S:C/C:N/I:L/A:N
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:R/S:C/C:N/I:L/A:N1.71.4Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
3.4LowVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:R/S:C/C:N/I:L/A:N
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-subscribe/#developersCVE reference · x_refsource_CONFIRM
- https://patchstack.com/database/vulnerability/wp-subscribe/wordpress-wp-subscribe-plugin-1-2-12-authenticated-stored-cross-site-scripting-xss-vulnerabilityCVE reference · x_refsource_CONFIRM
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.