# CVE-2024-8981: Broken Link Checker <= 2.4.0 - Reflected Cross-Site Scripting

> Unauthenticated attackers can inject arbitrary web scripts via reflected XSS in the Broken Link Checker plugin, requiring user interaction to execute.

- **Severity:** High 7.1 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:L`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 1 Oct 2024
- **Updated:** 8 Apr 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-jxg7-pw76-5mph

## What is CVE-2024-8981?

CVE-2024-8981 is a high-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in wpmudev Broken Link Checker, published on 1 Oct 2024. 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 Broken Link Checker plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Reflected Cross-Site Scripting due to the use of add_query_arg in /app/admin-notices/features/class-view.php without appropriate escaping on the URL in all versions up to, and including, 2.4.0. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to inject arbitrary web scripts in pages that execute if they can successfully trick a user into performing an action such as clicking on a link.

Weakness: CWE-80 (Improper Neutralization of Script-Related HTML Tags in a Web Page)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-8981?


## How do I fix CVE-2024-8981?

No fix has been published for CVE-2024-8981 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2024-8981 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-8981 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2024-8981 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-8981 is a high-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in wpmudev Broken Link Checker, published on 1 Oct 2024. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-8981 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: wpmudev Broken Link Checker. 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-2024-8981/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-8981/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-8981
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-8981
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-8981

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-8981/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.