CVE-2026-12561 tagDiv Composer <= 5.4.5 - Authenticated (Contributor+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting
Authenticated attackers with Contributor access can inject arbitrary scripts via the vc_raw_html shortcode, leading to script execution when pages are viewed.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Any signed-in user
- Attackable
- Over the internet
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- None listed
What is CVE-2026-12561?
CVE-2026-12561 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in tagDiv Composer, published on 25 Aug 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Official description
The tagDiv Composer plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via the vc_raw_html shortcode in all versions up to and including 5.4.5. This is due to insufficient input sanitization and output escaping in the vc_raw_html::render() method, which base64-decodes shortcode content (after a strip_tags() that is bypassed because the encoded payload contains no tags on save) and concatenates the result directly into the page HTML. Because WordPress's save-time wp_kses_post() filter only sees the inert base64 text inside a normal shortcode bracket and does not decode it, the dangerous tags survive into post_content and are emitted unescaped at render time. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Contributor-level access and above, to inject arbitrary web scripts in pages that will execute whenever a user accesses an injected page (for example, when an Editor or Administrator previews the pending post).
Weakness: CWE-79
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-12561?
How do I fix CVE-2026-12561?
No fix has been published for CVE-2026-12561 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.
Escape output for the context it lands in and set a strict Content Security Policy. Upgrading the affected component is the real fix. More about Cross-site scripting.
Is CVE-2026-12561 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-12561 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Sources
Also known as GHSA-5jqp-q3wh-2735.