dbcve.org
Cross-site Scripting (XSS)Weakness · CWE-79

CVE-2026-3885

MEDIUM · 6.4 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-04-16
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 WP Shortcodes Plugin — Shortcodes Ultimate plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via the plugin's 'su_box' shortcode in all versions up to, and including, 7.4.9 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.

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 Shortcodes Ultimate plugin fails to properly sanitize and escape user-supplied attributes in the 'su_box' shortcode, allowing authenticated users with contributor-level access to inject malicious JavaScript that executes when other users view affected pages.

MitigationUpdate the plugin to version 7.4.10 or later which includes proper input sanitization and output escaping for the su_box shortcode attributes.

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. Locate the Shortcodes Ultimate plugin version
    In WordPress admin, go to Plugins > Installed Plugins > Shortcodes Ultimate and read the version number displayed under the plugin name. Alternatively, check the main plugin file (usually wp-content/plugins/shortcodes-ultimate/shortcodes-ultimate.php) for the 'Version' header comment.
    Affected if The installed version is earlier than 7.4.10
  2. Identify if the su_box shortcode is in use
    Search your WordPress database for posts, pages, or custom post types containing the [su_box] shortcode string. This can be done via SQL query: SELECT * FROM wp_posts WHERE post_content LIKE '%[su_box%' AND post_status = 'publish';
    Affected if The su_box shortcode appears in published content and the plugin version is below 7.4.10
  3. Verify contributor-level user access
    In WordPress admin, go to Users > All Users and review the roles assigned. Contributors have edit_posts capability but cannot publish. Check if any contributor accounts exist and whether they have access to create or edit content containing shortcodes.
    Affected if Contributor or higher-privileged users exist and can insert shortcode content, combined with vulnerable plugin version
  4. Confirm shortcode attribute usage
    Examine posts containing [su_box] for any user-supplied attributes beyond static values. Attributes like title, color, or style that accept dynamic or user-modified values could be exploited. Review the shortcode syntax in your content.
    Affected if The su_box shortcode is present with customizable attributes and the plugin version is below 7.4.10

Your environment is affected if Shortcodes Ultimate plugin version is below 7.4.10 and the su_box shortcode with user-controlled attributes is present in published content accessible to users who can trigger the XSS payload.

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 the plugin to version 7.4.10 or later which includes proper input sanitization and output escaping for the su_box shortcode attributes.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Shortcodes Ultimate version 7.4.10 or later

  1. 1. Navigate to the WordPress admin dashboard
  2. 2. Go to Plugins > Installed Plugins
  3. 3. Locate 'Shortcodes Ultimate' (Shortcodes Ultimate plugin)
  4. 4. If an update is available, click 'Update Now'
  5. 5. Verify the updated version is 7.4.10 or later
  6. 6. Test that the su_box shortcode functions correctly on your site

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

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation3.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
8.0 hours of engineering $1,420
Get help mitigating

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,272.

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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-2026-3885 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
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