# CVE-2019-9978: WordPress Social Warfare Plugin Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)

> Stored XSS in Social Warfare plugin allows attackers to inject malicious scripts, potentially leading to code execution or account takeover.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.1 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Yes, since 3 Nov 2021 (CISA KEV)
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 24 Mar 2019
- **Updated:** 21 Oct 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-gfx2-wv94-38hv

## What is CVE-2019-9978?

CVE-2019-9978 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in n/a, published on 24 Mar 2019. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

The social-warfare plugin before 3.5.3 for WordPress has stored XSS via the wp-admin/admin-post.php?swp_debug=load_options swp_url parameter, as exploited in the wild in March 2019. This affects Social Warfare and Social Warfare Pro.

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

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2019-9978?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Warfareplugins Social Warfare, Warfareplugins Social Warfare Pro.

## How do I fix CVE-2019-9978?

No fix has been published for CVE-2019-9978 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available. US federal agencies must fix it by 3 May 2022.

## Is CVE-2019-9978 being exploited?

Yes. Attackers have exploited CVE-2019-9978 in the wild since at least 3 Nov 2021.

Public exploit code:

- CVE-2019-9978 - (PoC) RCE in Social WarFare Plugin (<=3.5.2) (github_poc): https://github.com/hash3liZer/CVE-2019-9978
- CVE-2019-9978 - RCE on a Wordpress plugin:  Social Warfare < 3.5.3 (github_poc): https://github.com/mpgn/CVE-2019-9978
- Wordpress Social Warfare Remote Code Execution (AUTO UPLOAD SHELL) (github_poc): https://github.com/KTN1990/CVE-2019-9978
- Remote Code Execution in Social Warfare Plugin before 3.5.3 for Wordpress. (github_poc): https://github.com/grimlockx/CVE-2019-9978
- POC (RCE) -> CVE-2019-9978 (github_poc): https://github.com/yup-Ivan/CVE-2019-9978
- Social WarFare Plugin (<=3.5.2) Remote Code Execution (github_poc): https://github.com/d3fudd/CVE-2019-9978_Exploit

## Other vulnerabilities in n/a

- [CVE-2021-4434](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-4434/): Social Warfare <= 3.5.2 - Remote Code Execution (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2023-4842](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-4842/): Cross-site scripting in Social Sharing Plugin – Social Warfare (medium 6.4)
- [CVE-2023-0402](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-0402/): Social Warfare <= 4.3.0 - Missing Authorization (medium 5.4)
- [CVE-2023-0403](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-0403/): Social Warfare <= 4.3.1 - Cross-Site Request Forgery (medium 5.4)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2019-9978 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2019-9978 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in n/a, published on 24 Mar 2019. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: Yes. Attackers have exploited CVE-2019-9978 in the wild since at least 3 Nov 2021.

Affected product: n/a. 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-2019-9978/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-9978/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2019-9978
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-9978
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2019-9978

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-9978/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.