PublishPress Authors lets authors store scripts in author-box email links
PublishPress Authors through 4.15.0 insufficiently sanitizes and escapes the profile_fields_user_email_value_prefix parameter. An authenticated user with the Author role or higher can supply a value that is stored and rendered in a page link; the injected script executes in the site's browser context when another user clicks that link. An administrator who clicks the affected link may also be exposed, making this a useful stored-XSS chaining primitive. The authoritative export identifies the parameter but does not disclose the write endpoint, action, handler function, or exact HTML context.
- Component
- Co-Authors, Multiple Authors and Guest Authors in an Author Box with PublishPress Authors
- Plugin slug
publishpress-authors- Affected
- <= 4.15.0
- Safe version
- See mitigation notes
- Published
- Sep 15, 2026
This CVE was published Sep 15, 2026 and is one of 6 known issues for this plugin.
Update, patch or deactivate.
This archive could not verify a fixed version from the official author release notes reviewed on 2026-10-13. Disable the affected feature or component where practical until remediation for the deployed configuration is established. Disable the affected plugin where untrusted authors can edit these values until a confirmed fix is available, and remove injected stored values. The application-level fix must validate the prefix against its intended format, restrict accepted link schemes, and escape the final link for its URL and HTML attribute contexts; authorization checks must also protect the settings write. Official author release notes: https://github.com/publishpress/publishpress-authors/blob/master/CHANGELOG.md.
No confirmed safe version is listed. Consider a vendor-supported patch or temporarily restricting the affected functionality while you assess the risk.
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.
Technical description
The Co-Authors, Multiple Authors and Guest Authors in an Author Box with PublishPress Authors plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via the ‘profile_fields_user_email_value_prefix’ parameter in all versions up to, and including, 4.15.0 due to insufficient input sanitization and output escaping. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Author-level access and above, to inject arbitrary web scripts in pages that will execute whenever a user clicks on a link.
CVE / CNA vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N