# CVE-2023-5229: E2Pdf < 1.20.20 - Admin+ Stored Cross-Site Scriping

> High-privilege users can inject malicious scripts into E2Pdf settings, potentially leading to code execution or 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:** 31 Oct 2023
- **Updated:** 23 Apr 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-m9r2-v6px-98w2

## What is CVE-2023-5229?

CVE-2023-5229 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in Unknown E2Pdf, published on 31 Oct 2023. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

The E2Pdf WordPress plugin before 1.20.20 does not sanitize and escape some of its settings, which could allow high privilege users to perform Cross-Site Scripting attacks even when the unfiltered_html capability is disallowed

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

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-5229?

It affects 1 product.


Products: E2pdf E2pdf.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-5229?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-5229 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2023-5229 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2023-5229 exists.

## Other vulnerabilities in Unknown E2Pdf

- [CVE-2023-50849](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-50849/): WordPress e2pdf Plugin <= 1.20.23 is vulnerable to SQL Injection (high 7.6)
- [CVE-2023-6826](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-6826/): E2Pdf <= 1.20.25 - Authenticated (Administrator+) Arbitrary File Upload (high 7.2)
- [CVE-2023-46154](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-46154/): WordPress e2pdf Plugin <= 1.20.18 is vulnerable to PHP Object Injection (medium 6.6)
- [CVE-2025-62068](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-62068/): WordPress e2pdf plugin <= 1.28.09 - Cross Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability (medium 6.5)
- [CVE-2024-43318](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-43318/): WordPress E2Pdf – Export To Pdf Tool for WordPress plugin <= 1.25.05 - Cross Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability (medium 6.5)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-5229 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-5229 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in Unknown E2Pdf, published on 31 Oct 2023. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2023-5229 exists.

Affected product: Unknown E2Pdf. 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-2023-5229/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-5229/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-5229
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-5229
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-5229

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-5229/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.