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CVE Record

CVE-2026-3885: WP Shortcodes Plugin — Shortcodes Ultimate <= 7.4.9 - Authenticated (Contributor+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting via su_box Shortcode

The WP Shortcodes Plugin — Shortcodes Ultimate plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via the plugin's 'su_box' shortcode in all versions up to, and including, 7.4.9 due to insufficient input sanitization and output escaping on user supplied attributes. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with contributor-level access and above, to inject arbitrary web scripts in pages that will execute whenever a user accesses an injected page.

MediumCVSS 6.4Not KEV-listedUpdated
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Glexia's TakeAutomated analysismoderate

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

A logged-in WordPress contributor or higher-privileged user could place malicious script content in a page using Shortcodes Ultimate’s su_box shortcode. The script could later run in visitors’ browsers, potentially exposing session-accessible information or enabling unauthorized actions under a victim’s permissions.

Executive priority

Treat this as a scheduled but prompt remediation item, especially on public sites with multiple contributors or weak account governance. Prioritize exposed sites handling sensitive administrator sessions. Escalate if suspicious su_box content, unexpected contributor activity, or account compromise indicators are found.

Technical view

CVE-2026-3885 is stored cross-site scripting caused by insufficient sanitization and output escaping of user-controlled su_box shortcode attributes. The narrative identifies Shortcodes Ultimate versions through 7.4.9 as vulnerable. It carries CVSS 3.1 score 6.4 and CWE-79, requiring authenticated contributor-level access or greater.

Likely exposure

Exposure requires WordPress sites running Shortcodes Ultimate through 7.4.9 and accounts with contributor-level access or above. Risk increases where contributors can create content containing su_box shortcodes and privileged users subsequently view affected pages. Internet reachability increases impact opportunities but does not remove the authentication prerequisite.

Exploitation context

The source bundle does not establish active exploitation, and the CVE is not listed as KEV. Exploitation requires an authenticated contributor or more privileged account. Successful injection persists in content and executes when a user visits the affected page, potentially crossing privilege boundaries in WordPress.

Researcher notes

The structured affected entry lists version "0" with default status "unaffected," conflicting with the narrative that versions through 7.4.9 are vulnerable. The referenced changeset indicates code remediation activity, but the bundle does not explicitly identify the first fixed release. Confirm version status through vendor guidance before closing findings.

Mitigation direction

  • Identify installations of Shortcodes Ultimate and their exact versions.
  • Update to a vendor-confirmed release that resolves CVE-2026-3885.
  • If updating is delayed, restrict contributor content creation and publishing permissions.
  • Consider disabling the affected shortcode or plugin where operationally acceptable.
  • Review vendor guidance and the referenced WordPress changeset before deployment.

Validation and detection

  • Confirm every installation is newer than 7.4.9 or vendor-documented as unaffected.
  • Inventory accounts holding contributor, author, editor, or administrator privileges.
  • Review content and revisions containing su_box shortcodes for suspicious attributes.
  • Examine audit records for unexpected contributor edits to affected pages.
  • Validate remediation safely in staging before restoring normal contributor permissions.
Prepared
Confidence
medium
Sources
5

Public sources used

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.

Potential ATT&CK relevance

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 · medium confidence lookup

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.

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cve · low confidence lookup

CVE-2026-3885 mapping review

Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.

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Vulnerability profileCVE Program record
Severity
Medium
CVSS
6.4 (3.1)
Known Exploited
No
Published

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N

Official CVE source material

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.

1CVSS vectors
5Timeline events
1ADP providers
4Source links

SSVC decision data

CISA-ADPCISA Coordinator
Timestamp
Version
2.0.3
Exploitation: noneAutomatable: noTechnical Impact: partial

CVSS vector scores

1 official score

We 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.

ScoreVersionSeverityVectorExploitImpactSource
6.4CVSS 3.1MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N3.12.7Wordfence

Vulnerability scoring details

Base CVSS 3.1 score

6.4Medium
CVSS 3.1 vector shape for CVE-2026-3885Attack VectorAttack ComplexityPrivileges RequiredUser InteractionScopeConfidentiality ImpactIntegrity ImpactAvailability Impact

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N

Attack Vector
NetworkAdjacentLocalPhysical
Attack Complexity
LowHigh
Privileges Required
NoneLowHigh
User Interaction
NoneRequired
Scope
ChangedUnchanged
Confidentiality Impact
HighLowNone
Integrity Impact
HighLowNone
Availability Impact
HighLowNone

Vulnerability timeline

Timeline events are normalized from CVE metadata, CNA source timelines, ADP timelines, and KEV metadata when present.

  1. CVE reservedCVE Program

    The CVE ID was reserved by the assigning CNA.

  2. Source timelineWordfence

    Vendor Notified

  3. Source timelineWordfence

    Disclosed

  4. CVE publishedCVE Program

    The CVE record was published.

  5. CVE updatedCVE Program

    The CVE record metadata indicates this as the latest update time.

ADP provider summaries

CISA-ADPCISA ADP Vulnrichment
other:ssvc

Source materials

Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus
gn_themesShortcodes Ultimate – Content Elements0unaffected
Weakness

CWE details

CWE-79

CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.

CWE-79 · source CWE mapping

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.

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