# CVE-2021-36869: WordPress Ivory Search plugin <= 4.6.6 - Reflected Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability

> Attackers can execute arbitrary scripts in victim browsers via a reflected XSS vulnerability in the Ivory Search WordPress plugin.

- **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:** 21 Oct 2021
- **Updated:** 28 Apr 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-5g3x-85qh-f5cx

## What is CVE-2021-36869?

CVE-2021-36869 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in Ivory Search (WordPress plugin), published on 21 Oct 2021. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

Reflected Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in WordPress Ivory Search plugin (versions <= 4.6.6). Vulnerable parameter: &post.

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

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-36869?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Ivorysearch Ivory Search.

## How do I fix CVE-2021-36869?

No fix has been published for CVE-2021-36869 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2021-36869 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-36869 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Ivory Search (WordPress plugin)

- [CVE-2021-24234](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-24234/): Ivory Search < 4.6.1 - Reflected Cross Site Scripting (XSS) (medium 6.1)
- [CVE-2024-6835](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-6835/): Ivory Search – WordPress Search Plugin <= 5.5.6 - Information Exposure via AJAX Search Form (medium 5.3)
- [CVE-2025-5209](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-5209/): Ivory Search < 5.5.10 - Admin+ Stored XSS (medium 4.8)
- [CVE-2021-25105](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-25105/): Ivory Search < 5.4.1 - Multiple Admin+ Stored Cross-Site Scripting (medium 4.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2021-36869 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2021-36869 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in Ivory Search (WordPress plugin), published on 21 Oct 2021. 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-2021-36869 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Ivory Search (WordPress plugin). 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-2021-36869/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-36869/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-36869
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-36869
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-36869

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-36869/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.