Cross-site scripting in helpstring Global Body Mass Index Calculator
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- 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 Global Body Mass Index Calculator plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via the 'gbmicalc' shortcode in versions up to, and including, 1.2. This is due to insufficient input sanitization and output escaping on user-supplied shortcode attributes in the GBMI_Calc_Widget::widget() function. Shortcode attributes are extracted directly into local variables via @extract($args) and then echoed unescaped into an HTML style attribute (height/width) and HTML body context (title), allowing attribute-breakout payloads. 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.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| helpstring | Global Body Mass Index Calculator | up to 1.2 | — | No fix listed | CNA |
- Global Body Mass Index Calculator Vendorhelpstring Affected up to 1.2 Fixed in — No fix listed CNA
Remediation
No fixed version listed by the sources yet.
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-8883
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-3xrw-mxp7-2r3j
References
Other 5
- https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/06804bed-17c5-413c-a31b-f6f039015e26?source=cve
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/global-body-mass-index-calculator/tags/1.2/gbmicalc.php#L335
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/global-body-mass-index-calculator/tags/1.2/gbmicalc.php#L134
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/global-body-mass-index-calculator/tags/1.2/gbmicalc.php#L345
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/global-body-mass-index-calculator/tags/1.2/gbmicalc.php#L476
More helpstring vulnerabilities
- TI-2026-05617 Child Height Predictor by Ostheimer <= 1.3 - Cross-Site Request Forgery to Settings Update via Plugin Settings Form CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 4.3
Sources
- CVE-2026-8883 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-8883 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-3xrw-mxp7-2r3j · 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