# CVE-2016-15041: Cross-site scripting in MainWP Dashboard: Self-hosted WordPress Management for Agencies

> Unauthenticated attackers can inject arbitrary scripts via the purchase username parameter, leading to script execution when users view affected pages.

- **Severity:** High 7.2 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 16 Oct 2024
- **Updated:** 8 Apr 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-c7x4-5776-rm5h

## What is CVE-2016-15041?

CVE-2016-15041 is a high-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in MainWP Dashboard: Self-hosted WordPress Management for Agencies, published on 16 Oct 2024. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The MainWP Dashboard – The Private WordPress Manager for Multiple Website Maintenance plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via the ‘mwp_setup_purchase_username’ parameter in versions up to, and including, 3.1.2 due to insufficient input sanitization and output escaping. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to inject arbitrary web scripts in pages that will execute whenever a user accesses an injected page.

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

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2016-15041?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Mainwp Mainwp Dashboard.

## How do I fix CVE-2016-15041?

No fix has been published for CVE-2016-15041 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2016-15041 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2016-15041 exists.

Public exploit code:

- Vuln lab: MainWP Dashboard <= 3.1.2 Unauthenticated Stored XSS (github_poc): https://github.com/flame-11/CVE-2016-15041-mainwp-dashboard
- MainWP Dashboard <= 3.1.2 - Stored Cross-Site Scripting (nuclei): http/cves/2016/CVE-2016-15041.yaml

## Other vulnerabilities in MainWP Dashboard: Self-hosted WordPress Management for Agencies

- [CVE-2023-38519](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-38519/): WordPress MainWP Plugin <= 4.4.3.3 is vulnerable to SQL Injection (high 7.6)
- [CVE-2024-1642](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-1642/): MainWP Dashboard <= 4.6.0.1 - Cross-Site Request Forgery via posting_bulk (medium 4.3)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2016-15041 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2016-15041 is a high-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in MainWP Dashboard: Self-hosted WordPress Management for Agencies, published on 16 Oct 2024. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2016-15041 exists.

Affected product: MainWP Dashboard: Self-hosted WordPress Management for Agencies. 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-2016-15041/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-15041/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2016-15041
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-15041
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2016-15041

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-15041/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.