CVE-2026-2505 Categories Images <= 3.3.1 - Authenticated (Contributor+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting via 'z_taxonomy_image' Shortcode
Authenticated attackers can inject arbitrary scripts via the z_taxonomy_image shortcode, leading to stored XSS execution on frontend pages.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Any signed-in user
- Attackable
- Over the internet
- Victim action needed
- A user has to click or open something
- Fix
- None listed
What is CVE-2026-2505?
CVE-2026-2505 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in elzahlan Categories Images, published on 18 Apr 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Official description
The Categories Images plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting in versions up to, and including, 3.3.1, via the 'z_taxonomy_image' shortcode. This is due to the shortcode rendering path passing attacker-controlled class input into a fallback image builder that concatenates HTML attributes without proper escaping. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Contributor-level access and above, to inject arbitrary web scripts that execute when users interact with the injected frontend page via the 'class' shortcode attribute.
Weakness: CWE-79
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-2505?
How do I fix CVE-2026-2505?
No fix has been published for CVE-2026-2505 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-2026-2505 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-2505 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Sources
Also known as GHSA-jx47-j339-6qpw.