OPEN-BRAIN <= 0.5.0 - Authenticated (Administrator+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting via 'API Key' Setting
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- High
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- High
- Impact type
- Cross-site scripting
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- Low · Low · None
- Fix status
- No fix listed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA. Impact type from CWE-79.
Summary
The OPEN-BRAIN plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via the 'API Key' settings field in all versions up to, and including, 0.5.0. This is due to insufficient input sanitization and output escaping. The plugin uses sanitize_text_field() which strips HTML tags but does not encode double quotes or other HTML-special characters needed for safe attribute context output. The API key value is saved via update_option() and later output into an HTML input element's value attribute without esc_attr() escaping. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Administrator-level access, to inject arbitrary web scripts via attribute breakout payloads (e.g., double quotes followed by event handlers) that execute whenever a user accesses the plugin settings page.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- No
- Technical impact
- Partial
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| faridsaniee | OPEN-BRAIN | up to 0.5.0 | — | No fix listed | CNA |
- OPEN-BRAIN Vendorfaridsaniee Affected up to 0.5.0 Fixed in — No fix listed CNA
Remediation
No fixed version listed by the sources yet.
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-3995
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-pq6h-83gw-pj9p
References
Other 9
- https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/3fe3fa95-cc1d-469b-8a97-37987b9ae362?source=cve
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/open-brain/trunk/index.php#L272
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/open-brain/tags/0.5.0/index.php#L272
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/open-brain/trunk/index.php#L252
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/open-brain/tags/0.5.0/index.php#L252
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/open-brain/trunk/index.php#L253
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/open-brain/tags/0.5.0/index.php#L253
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/open-brain/trunk/index.php#L128
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/open-brain/tags/0.5.0/index.php#L128
More faridsaniee vulnerabilities
- TI-2026-03546 OPEN-BRAIN <= 0.5.0 - Cross-Site Request Forgery CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 6.1
Sources
- CVE-2026-3995 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-3995 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-pq6h-83gw-pj9p · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences