CVE-2026-65538 WordPress Machete plugin <= 5.2 - Cross Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability
An attacker can inject malicious scripts via author fields in the Machete WordPress plugin, potentially leading to session hijacking or code execution.
- 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
- None listed
What is CVE-2026-65538?
CVE-2026-65538 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in Nilo Velez Machete, published on 23 Jul 2026. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Official description
Author Cross Site Scripting (XSS) in Machete <= 5.2 versions.
Weakness: CWE-79
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-65538?
How do I fix CVE-2026-65538?
No fix has been published for CVE-2026-65538 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-2026-65538 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-65538 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Sources
Also known as GHSA-wjhx-5m6h-5x26.