WP Meta SEO <= 4.5.18 - Unauthenticated Stored Cross-Site Scripting via REQUEST_URI in 404 Logging
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- 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 WP Meta SEO plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Unauthenticated Stored Cross-Site Scripting via the REQUEST_URI server variable in all versions up to, and including, 4.5.18. When the plugin's `wpmsTemplateRedirect()` hook detects a 404, it concatenates `$_SERVER['HTTP_HOST']` with the raw `$_SERVER['REQUEST_URI']` and inserts that value verbatim into the `wp_wpms_links.link_url` column via `$wpdb->insert()`. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to inject arbitrary web scripts that execute whenever an administrator views the plugin's 404 & Redirects admin page (`/wp-admin/admin.php?page=metaseo_broken_link`).
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- Yes
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JoomUnited | WP Meta SEO | up to 4.5.18 | — | No fix listed | CNA |
- WP Meta SEO VendorJoomUnited Affected up to 4.5.18 Fixed in — No fix listed CNA
CPE names Threatist (inferred) · 1
Inferred from how NVD named this product before; not given by a source.
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:a:joomunited:wp_meta_seo:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | — | — | JoomUnited |
- cpe:2.3:a:joomunited:wp_meta_seo:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions — — ·JoomUnited
Remediation
No fixed version listed by the sources yet.
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-9643
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-qhjr-7q98-w4h3
References
Other 6
- https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/beceb218-34bf-4571-a07b-939abc7ead8e?source=cve
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/wp-meta-seo/tags/4.5.18/inc/class.metaseo-broken-link-table.php#L894
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/wp-meta-seo/tags/4.5.18/wp-meta-seo.php#L1171
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/wp-meta-seo/tags/4.5.18/wp-meta-seo.php#L1135
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset?old_path=/wp-meta-seo/tags/4.5.12&new_path=/wp-meta-seo/tags/4.5.13
- https://ti.wordfence.io/vulnerabilities/ca91e41d-b728-4eb0-86d5-043813d8c2c1
More JoomUnited vulnerabilities
- TI-2023-01305 WP Meta SEO < 4.5.5 - Author+ PHAR Deserialization CVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2023-00830 WP Meta SEO < 4.5.3 - Subscriber+ SQLi CVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2025-04513 WP File Download < 6.2.6 - Reflected XSS CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.1
- TI-2023-00831 WP Meta SEO < 4.5.3 - Subscriber+ Improper Authorization causing Arbitrary Redirect CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 6.1
- TI-2024-17009 WordPress WP Media folder Plugin <= 5.7.2 is vulnerable to Arbitrary File Upload CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.9
- TI-2026-08493 WordPress WP Media folder Addon plugin <= 4.0.1 - Arbitrary File Download vulnerability CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.5
Sources
- CVE-2026-9643 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-9643 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-qhjr-7q98-w4h3 · 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