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Cross-site Scripting (XSS)Weakness · CWE-79

CVE-2026-3534

MEDIUM · 6.4 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-03-11
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
70/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable Zero-click

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 Astra theme for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via the `ast-page-background-meta` and `ast-content-background-meta` post meta fields in all versions up to, and including, 4.12.3. This is due to insufficient input sanitization on meta registration and missing output escaping in the `astra_get_responsive_background_obj()` function for four CSS-context sub-properties (`background-color`, `background-image`, `overlay-color`, `overlay-gradient`). 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.

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 Astra WordPress theme (versions up to 4.12.3) contains a stored XSS vulnerability in background meta field handling. The `ast-page-background-meta` and `ast-content-background-meta` post meta fields lack proper input sanitization during registration, and the `astra_get_responsive_background_obj()` function fails to escape output for four CSS properties (background-color, background-image, overlay-color, overlay-gradient), allowing authenticated attackers with Contributor+ permissions to inject malicious scripts that execute on page access.

MitigationUpdate Astra theme to version 4.12.4 or later which includes proper input sanitization and output escaping for the affected meta fields and CSS properties.

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

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
None
Scope
Changed
Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
Low
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/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. Check Astra theme version
    Go to WordPress Dashboard > Appearance > Themes and locate the Astra theme. View the theme details to see the installed version number, or check the style.css file in the theme directory for the Version header.
    Affected if The installed version is 4.12.3 or earlier.
  2. Identify stored meta field content
    Query the WordPress database for the affected post meta fields: SELECT post_id, meta_key, meta_value FROM wp_postmeta WHERE meta_key IN ('ast-page-background-meta', 'ast-content-background-meta'); Adjust the table prefix if wp_ is different.
    Affected if Records exist with these meta keys containing unsanitized values (look for script tags, event handlers like onload=, onerror=, or encoded JavaScript).
  3. Inspect the vulnerable function
    Locate the file containing `astra_get_responsive_background_obj()` function in the theme's includes or template files. Examine how it handles the four CSS properties: background-color, background-image, overlay-color, overlay-gradient.
    Affected if The function directly outputs these properties without escaping functions like esc_html(), esc_attr(), or safecss_filter_attr().
  4. Check for XSS payloads in meta values
    If you have database access, examine the raw meta_value for patterns such as <script, javascript:, onload=, onerror=, alert(, or hex/URL encoded payloads that could decode to malicious scripts.
    Affected if Any meta values contain JavaScript code or HTML event handlers that would execute when the page renders the background styles.

You are affected if the Astra theme version is 4.12.3 or earlier AND any post meta records contain the ast-page-background-meta or ast-content-background-meta fields with unsanitized JavaScript or HTML content.

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
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Update Astra theme to version 4.12.4 or later which includes proper input sanitization and output escaping for the affected meta fields and CSS properties.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Latest version of Astra theme (higher than 4.12.3)

  1. 1. Log in to the WordPress admin dashboard with Contributor-level or higher privileges
  2. 2. Navigate to Appearance > Themes
  3. 3. Locate the Astra theme in the installed themes list
  4. 4. Check the current version number of the Astra theme
  5. 5. If the installed version is 4.12.3 or lower, update to the latest available version of the Astra theme
  6. 6. Alternatively, download the latest version of the Astra theme from the official WordPress theme repository or from Astra's official website
  7. 7. Upload and install the updated theme, then activate it
  8. 8. Clear any caching plugins or server-side caches after the update
Caveat Standard theme update - ensure child theme customizations are compatible with the new version before updating on production sites

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

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation1.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
6.0 hours of engineering $1,040
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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-2026-3534 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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