dbcve.org
Page BuilderWordPress extension · Wpbakery

CVE-2025-11161

MEDIUM · 5.4 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-10-15
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 8.7 or later.
See remediation →
58/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
The WPBakery Page Builder plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via the vc_custom_heading shortcode in all versions up to, and including, 8.6.1. This is due to insufficient restriction of allowed HTML tags and improper sanitization of user-supplied attributes in the font_container parameter. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers with contributor-level access or higher to inject arbitrary web scripts in posts that will execute whenever a user accesses an injected page via the vc_custom_heading shortcode with malicious tag and text attributes granted they have access to use WPBakery shortcodes.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

The WPBakery Page Builder plugin for WordPress contains a stored XSS vulnerability in the vc_custom_heading shortcode. The font_container parameter does not properly sanitize user-supplied attributes, allowing authenticated users with contributor-level access or higher to inject malicious JavaScript that executes whenever other users access pages containing the compromised shortcode.

MitigationUpdate WPBakery Page Builder to the latest version and audit existing posts for any malicious vc_custom_heading shortcode implementations.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Page BuilderWordPress extension
Affected:< 8.7

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
Required
Scope
Changed
Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
Low
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Verify WPBakery Page Builder is installed
    In WordPress admin, go to Plugins > Installed Plugins and look for 'WPBakery Page Builder' or check the plugin files in /wp-content/plugins/js_composer/ for version information
    Affected if Plugin is installed and version is below 8.7
  2. Confirm the installed version number
    Check the plugin header in js_composer/js_composer.php or the version constant defined in the plugin files
    Affected if Version is less than 8.7 (e.g., 8.6.x, 8.5.x, etc.)
  3. Search for vc_custom_heading shortcode usage
    Query the WordPress database: SELECT ID, post_title FROM wp_posts WHERE post_content LIKE '%vc_custom_heading%' AND post_status IN ('publish', 'draft', 'pending')
    Affected if Any posts or pages contain the vc_custom_heading shortcode
  4. Inspect font_container parameter in shortcodes
    Examine the shortcode content for font_container attributes, e.g., [vc_custom_heading font_container="..."] and verify if the parameter contains unsanitized user input like event handlers or javascript: URLs
    Affected if The font_container parameter contains raw user input that could include HTML attributes like onmouseover, onclick, or javascript: links

You are affected if WPBakery Page Builder version is below 8.7 and any published content contains vc_custom_heading shortcode with a font_container parameter that could accept malicious JavaScript.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 8.7 or later
Fixed in 8.7
Interim mitigation

Update WPBakery Page Builder to the latest version and audit existing posts for any malicious vc_custom_heading shortcode implementations.

Recommended fix High confidence

WPBakery Page Builder version 8.7 or later

  1. Backup your WordPress site before making any changes
  2. Log in to your WordPress admin dashboard
  3. Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins
  4. Locate 'WPBakery Page Builder' in the plugin list
  5. Click 'Update now' if an update is available, or manually upload version 8.7 or higher from wpbakery.com
  6. After updating, verify the plugin version shows 8.7 or newer in the Plugins list
  7. Clear any caching plugins or server-side caches
  8. Test that the vc_custom_heading shortcode functions properly with legitimate attributes

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Page Builder Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
7.0 hours of engineering $1,240
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,984.

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2025-11161 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data