# CVE-2020-13487: bbPress stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Forum creation section

> Stored XSS in bbPress allows attackers to execute JavaScript in admin pages, potentially leading to account takeover.

- **Severity:** Medium 4.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** An administrator
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 26 May 2020
- **Updated:** 4 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-p9xp-xghp-gqvp

## What is CVE-2020-13487?

CVE-2020-13487 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in n/a, published on 26 May 2020. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

The bbPress plugin through 2.6.4 for WordPress has stored XSS in the Forum creation section, resulting in JavaScript execution at wp-admin/edit.php?post_type=forum (aka the Forum listing page) for all users. An administrator can exploit this at the wp-admin/post.php?action=edit URI.

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

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-13487?

2 open source packages ship an affected version, including bbpress/bbpress. It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `bbpress/bbpress` | Packagist | All versions to 2.6.4 | None |
| `bbpress/bbpress` | Packagist | All versions to 2.6.4 | None |

Products: Bbpress Bbpress.

## How do I fix CVE-2020-13487?

No fix has been published for CVE-2020-13487 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2020-13487 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-13487 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in n/a

- [CVE-2020-13693](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-13693/): bbPress unauthenticated privilege-escalation (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2007-3244](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2007-3244/): SQL injection in n/a (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2011-1150](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2011-1150/): bbPress Cross-site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability (medium 6.1)
- [CVE-2011-3710](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2011-3710/): Information disclosure in n/a (medium 5.0)
- [CVE-2007-3243](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2007-3243/): Cross-site scripting in n/a (medium 4.3)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2020-13487 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-13487 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in n/a, published on 26 May 2020. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-13487 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- bbpress/bbpress (Packagist): affected all versions up to 2.6.4; no fix listed
- bbpress/bbpress (Packagist): affected all versions up to 2.6.4; no fix listed

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-2020-13487/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-13487/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-13487
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-13487
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-13487

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-13487/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.