# CVE-2013-5739: Cross-site scripting in n/a

> Authenticated users can upload malicious files to trigger cross-site scripting attacks in WordPress due to permissive default upload settings.

- **Severity:** Low 3.5 (`AV:N/AC:M/Au:S/C:N/I:P/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 12 Sep 2013
- **Updated:** 6 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2013-5739, GHSA-v4p8-jvp4-22m6

## What is CVE-2013-5739?

CVE-2013-5739 is a low-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in Wordpress Wordpress, published on 12 Sep 2013. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

The default configuration of WordPress before 3.6.1 does not prevent uploads of .swf and .exe files, which might make it easier for remote authenticated users to conduct cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks via a crafted file, related to the get_allowed_mime_types function in wp-includes/functions.php.

Weakness: CWE-79 (Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2013-5739?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Wordpress Wordpress.

## How do I fix CVE-2013-5739?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2013-5739 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2013-5739 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Wordpress Wordpress

- [CVE-2026-63030](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-63030/): WordPress Core Interpretation Conflict (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-87902](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-87902/): WordPress Core Remote File Inclusion (high 8.1, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-60137](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-60137/): WordPress Core SQL Injection (medium 5.9, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2012-2399](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-2399/): Cross-site scripting in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2012-2400](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-2400/): Other in n/a (critical 10.0)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2013-5739 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2013-5739 is a low-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in Wordpress Wordpress, published on 12 Sep 2013. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2013-5739 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Wordpress Wordpress. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-5739/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-5739/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2013-5739
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2013-5739
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2013-5739

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-5739/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.