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Molongui Authorship EUVDEUVD-2026-96277

| CVE-2026-101920 HIGH
Cross-site Scripting (XSS) (CWE-79)
2026-10-10 Wordfence GHSA-m398-mh86-wgcp
7.2
CVSS 3.1 · Vendor: Wordfence
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Attack ChainAIDerived

Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain

  1. Access
    Submit comment with crafted href (unauthenticated)
  2. Delivery
    Plugin byline rewriter selects and rewrites anchor without pro marker
  3. Exploit
    Victim loads injected page
  4. Execution
    DOM-based script executes in victim browser
  5. Impact
    Steal session/credentials or deface in victim context

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A05:2025 - Injection
ASVS 5.0
V1 - Encoding and Sanitization Output encoding, context-aware escaping
MITRE ATT&CK

2 techniques across 2 tactics: Initial Access, Execution

The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up.

Exploitation Conditions

Exploitation requires the FREE build of the Molongui Authorship plugin (versions up to and including 5.2.12), where Plugin::has_pro() returns false so the author-filter rewriter never appends the ?m_bm=true marker to its own anchors - making every href the byline script rewrites fully attacker-controlled; the pro build is not affected by this specific path. The site must accept comment content (the 'comment' href-inside-comment-content parameter is the injection point), and comment submission must be reachable by unauthenticated users for the PR:N scenario to hold. The principal limiting factor is that payload execution is deferred and conditional on a victim loading the specific injected page (stored/DOM-based trigger), and exploitation is confined to deployments running the vulnerable free build with the byline/author-filter feature active.

Impact

The input CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.2 (High) reflects a network-reachable (AV:N), low-complexity (AC:L), unauthenticated (PR:N) stored XSS with a changed scope (S:C) and low confidentiality/integrity impact (C:L/I:L/A:N). The combination of PR:N and AC:L is the main driver of risk: an unauthenticated attacker can plant the payload via a comment, and the plugin's own byline/author-filter rewriter then rewrites the attacker-controlled href on every page view. However, no EPSS probability was supplied, the CVE is not present in CISA KEV (no active exploitation signal), and no public proof-of-concept is indicated in the provided data - so this is a high-CVSS finding without any corroborating real-world exploitation evidence at this time. One signal tension worth flagging: the vector uses UI:N, yet the description states the script executes 'whenever a user accesses an injected page,' which is a form of victim browsing - some analysts would score this UI:R, which would lower the base score. Exploitation is further gated by a specific condition (the free, non-pro build where Plugin::has_pro() returns false). Net assessment: a credible, vendor-reported (Wordfence) stored XSS that merits patching on the normal cycle, but absent EPSS/KEV/POC it is a 'patch-soon' issue rather than an emergency, and its realistic footprint is bounded by the free-build requirement and the need for a victim to load the affected page.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An unauthenticated attacker submits a blog comment on a site running the free build of Molongui Authorship, embedding a malicious href inside the comment content. Because the plugin's author-filter byline script rewrites that anchor without appending the pro-only ?m_bm=true marker, the attacker fully controls the rewritten link, and the DOM-based payload executes in the browser of any user who later views the injected page. No public exploit code is indicated in the supplied data, but exploitation is low-complexity and requires no authentication.

This Week Schedule remediation this week. Why: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9).
No patch listed yet 0.3% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Oct 10, 2026

Stored DOM-based cross-site scripting in the Molongui Authorship - Author Boxes, Guest Authors & Co-Authors for WordPress plugin (free build, versions up to and including 5.2.12) lets unauthenticated attackers inject arbitrary web scripts via the href attribute inside comment content, which then execute in the browser of any visitor who loads the affected page. The flaw is confined to the free build: because Plugin::has_pro() returns false, the author-filter rewriter never appends its ?m_bm=true marker to plugin-generated anchors, so every href the byline script selects and rewrites is fully attacker-controlled. The assessed vector is CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N (7.2 High) and no public exploit code identified at time of analysis.

RemediationAI

Vendor-released patch: upgrade the Molongui Authorship plugin to version 5.3.0, whose tag contains the updated byline script (assets/js/byline.849a.min.js) referenced from the advisory. Until the upgrade can be staged, restrict the affected surface: disable WordPress comment submission or require authentication for commenting (this removes the unauthenticated PR:N vector but suppresses legitimate engagement), and/or deactivate the plugin's byline/author-filter rendering on templates that display comment-derived links. A WAF or input filter that rejects href values containing javascript:, data:, vbscript: schemes or inline event-handler attributes can blunt known payloads, though it may produce false positives on benign links and does not remediate the underlying DOM sink. Re-check the plugin changelog and the Wordfence advisory at https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/1bf63dd3-9fd1-4b72-b7e0-48155312c48f?source=cve for any further fixed releases before relying solely on compensating controls.

Affected VersionsENISA

Molongui Authorship – Author Boxes, Guest Authors & Co-Authors for WordPress 0 ≤5.2.12

Affected Packages

euvd molongui_authorship_author_boxes_guest_authors_co_authors_for_wordpress no fix

Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)

Affects your stack

Affects 1 package in euvd

Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.

Technical ContextAI · show details

The issue is a CWE-79 cross-site scripting defect with a DOM-based execution path grafted onto a stored injection point. Comment content is persisted by WordPress and later parsed in the browser by the plugin's front-end byline script (assets/js/byline.4cc4.min.js in the vulnerable 5.2.12 tag), which walks selected anchor elements and rewrites their href attributes. In the free build, has_pro() returns false, so the author-filter rewriter in includes/author-filters.php (see the referenced lines 29 and 464) never appends the ?m_bm=true marker that would otherwise distinguish plugin-generated links from user-supplied ones; consequently, the href value taken from the comment content is treated as trusted and written into the DOM without adequate sanitization or escaping, producing script execution in the victim's browser. The changed-scope (S:C) CVSS metric reflects that the injected script runs in the security context of the page rather than being contained to a single component. The 5.3.0 tag ships a revised byline script (assets/js/byline.849a.min.js), consistent with the fix being delivered there.

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  • Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources

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Severity by source

Vendor (Wordfence) PRIMARY 7.2 HIGH
AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N
vuln.today AI 7.2 HIGH

Unauthenticated comment injection (PR:N, AC:L) runs script in the victim's browser context yielding a scope change (S:C) with limited C/I and no availability impact, matching typical stored XSS.

3.1 AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N
4.0 AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:L/VI:L/VA:N/SC:L/SI:L/SA:N

Primary rating from Vendor (Wordfence).

CVSS VectorVendor: Wordfence

Attack Vector
Network
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
None
User Interaction
None
Scope
Changed
Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
Low
Availability
None

DescriptionCVE.org

The Molongui Authorship - Author Boxes, Guest Authors & Co-Authors for WordPress plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored DOM-Based Cross-Site Scripting via the 'comment (href attribute inside comment content)' parameter in all versions up to, and including, 5.2.12 due to insufficient input sanitization and output escaping. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to inject arbitrary web scripts in pages that will execute whenever a user accesses an injected page. This is exploitable in the free build because the plugin's author-filter rewriter never appends the ?m_bm=true marker to its own anchors (Plugin::has_pro() returns false), meaning every href the byline script selects and rewrites is fully attacker-controlled.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

A high-severity stored cross-site scripting flaw in the free build of the Molongui Authorship WordPress plugin (versions up to and including 5.2.12) allows an unauthenticated party to plant malicious script in comment content that then runs in the browsers of ordinary site visitors. Because the plugin is widely embedded in public-facing WordPress sites and no vendor patch is available, every page view on an affected site is a potential delivery point for credential theft, session hijacking, or malicious redirects. Leadership should treat this as an external-facing brand and trust risk affecting customers, prospects, and any partner sites hosting the plugin, with remediation dependent on vendor release timing rather than an internal fix.

Business Impact: High
Compensating Controls

No vendor-released patch identified at time of analysis. Interim mitigations: deactivate or remove the free build of the plugin (affected through 5.2.12) on internet-facing sites; apply WAF or edge rules blocking script injection via the href attribute in comment content; enforce strict server-side comment HTML sanitization and moderation; deploy a restrictive Content-Security-Policy that blocks inline and untrusted script execution; and restrict or disable public commenting on high-value pages until a fixed version is confirmed.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.3%
Top 79% exploitable
Prevalence
Low
niche WordPress author-box plugin with a modest install base
Social Media
1
Sightings
Data Quality
5 sources
Confidence: Medium

How this decision was reached

The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.

SignalValue
Severity HIGH
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.3%
Patch available No
Active threat No
Deciding rule
HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9)
What every action level means
Emergency Immediate action required. Criteria: CRITICAL + in CISA KEV (actively exploited) without patch, OR CRITICAL + EPSS > 30% without patch, OR CRITICAL + active threat signals without patch.
Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Criteria: in KEV with patch available, OR CRITICAL + public POC, OR HIGH + EPSS > 10%, OR CRITICAL + active threat, OR any CRITICAL severity.
This Week Schedule remediation this week. Criteria: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9). Patch within normal change window.
This Month Plan within 30 days. Criteria: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9), lower exploitation probability. Include in regular patch cycle.
Monitor Track and reassess. Criteria: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9), minimal exploitation risk. No immediate action needed.

SSVC AssessmentENISA

SSVC Decision
Scheduled
Exploitation
None
System Exposure· derived
Open
Automatable
No
Human Impact
High
Technical Impact
Partial

Priority Score

36
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +36
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

Cross-Site Scripting occurs when an application accepts untrusted data and sends it to a web browser without proper validation or encoding.

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