CVE-2026-4278 Cross-site scripting in Simple Download Counter
Authenticated attackers can inject arbitrary scripts via shortcode attributes, leading to stored XSS execution on victim pages.
- 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-2026-4278?
CVE-2026-4278 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in specialk Simple Download Counter, published on 26 Mar 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Official description
The Simple Download Counter plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via the 'sdc_menu' shortcode in all versions up to, and including, 2.3. This is due to insufficient input sanitization and output escaping on user-supplied shortcode attributes, specifically the 'text' and 'cat' attributes. The 'text' attribute is output directly into HTML content on line 159 without any escaping (e.g., esc_html()). The 'cat' attribute is used unescaped in HTML class attributes on lines 135 and 157 without esc_attr(). 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.
Weakness: CWE-79
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-4278?
How do I fix CVE-2026-4278?
No fix has been published for CVE-2026-4278 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-2026-4278 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-4278 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Sources
Also known as GHSA-8gh3-66fr-4rwm.