WordPress security changelog
MEDIUM CVE-2026-3639 Deferred

PPWP shortcode attributes permit Contributor stored XSS

PPWP – Password Protect Pages through 1.9.21 lets a Contributor or higher store script-capable values in the placeholder or button attributes of a ppwp shortcode. PPW_Service_Shortcode::get_restricted_content_form() passed those values through general HTML sanitization but inserted them into the password form's placeholder and submit-button value attributes without attribute-context escaping. The payload therefore executes when a visitor opens the affected page. Version 1.9.22 applies esc_attr() to both values.

CVE / CNA score 6.4 CVSS 3.1 · security@wordfence.com
NVD score Pending NVD has not published its own CVSS assessment.
Component
PPWP – Password Protect Pages
Plugin slug
password-protect-page
Affected
<= 1.9.21
Safe version
1.9.22
Published
Aug 13, 2026
Weakness
CWE-79 — Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')

This CVE was published Aug 13, 2026 and is one of 7 known issues for this plugin.

What to do

Update, patch or deactivate.

Update to 1.9.22 or later. Review Contributor-authored ppwp shortcodes for unexpected placeholder or button values and remove suspicious content.

A safe version is available, so updating to that version or later is the preferred remediation. If an immediate update is not practical, consider a targeted application patch or temporarily restricting the affected functionality.

Deactivate only when warranted by your risk profile, or when advised by your hosting provider in the limited circumstances where the vulnerability cannot otherwise be mitigated. If you’re unsure which action is appropriate, contact Fused or your hosting provider for guidance.

Source record

Technical description

The PPWP – Password Protect Pages plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via the plugin's `ppwp` shortcode attributes in all versions up to, and including, 1.9.21 due to insufficient input sanitization and output escaping on user supplied attributes. 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.

CVE / CNA vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N

References

Primary and upstream sources