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Arbitrary shortcode execution in ProfilePress user profile comments

Priority LOW 24CWE-94Published · Updated

Key facts

Attack vector
Network
Privileges required
Low
User interaction
None
Attack complexity
Low
Impact type
Code execution
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-94.

Summary

The ProfilePress plugin for WordPress is vulnerable through version 4.17.5. Comment content shown on the user profile Comments tab is passed to shortcode processing, which is a code injection flaw (CWE-94). An authenticated attacker with Subscriber-level access or above can post a comment containing shortcode markup, which runs on the server when any visitor loads the profile's Comments tab, allowing use of capability-gated shortcodes and raw HTML injection into a public page.

Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-10-28

Description from the CNA

The WP User Avatar / ProfilePress plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Arbitrary Shortcode Execution in versions up to, and including, 4.17.5. This is due to the get_user_profile_structure() function assembling the front-end profile buffer — which includes raw comment excerpts inlined by author_comment_query() — and passing the entire buffer to do_shortcode() after only a narrow neutralization pass (ppress_neutralize_buffer_shortcodes) that blocks pp-custom-html and bracket fragments containing HTML delimiters but leaves any other well-formed shortcode intact. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Subscriber-level access and above, to inject arbitrary shortcodes (from any active plugin or theme) with attacker-chosen attributes by posting a comment whose body contains the shortcode markup; the shortcode is then executed server-side when any visitor loads the target's front-end profile Comments tab, letting the attacker reach capability-gated or data-returning shortcodes and inject raw HTML markup into a publicly viewable page.

Why it matters now

Exploitation None reported CISA SSVC · not in CISA KEV
EPSS 0.00227 13th percentileScored 2026-11-07
Fix No fix listed No fixed version in the sources yet

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

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed inStatusSource
properfractionPaid Membership Plugin, Ecommerce, User Registration Form, Login Form, User Profile & Restrict Content – ProfilePressup to 4.17.5—No fix listedCNA
  • Paid Membership Plugin, Ecommerce, User Registration Form, Login Form, User Profile & Restrict Content – ProfilePress Vendorproperfraction Affected up to 4.17.5 Fixed in — No fix listed CNA

CPE names Threatist (inferred) · 1

Inferred from how NVD named this product before; not given by a source.

CPEVersionsRoleVendor
cpe:2.3:a:properfraction:profilepress:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*——properfraction
  • cpe:2.3:a:properfraction:profilepress:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions — — ·properfraction

Remediation

The sources list no fixed version for ProfilePress.

Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-10-28

Timeline

  1. 2026-10-16 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-104003
  2. 2026-10-16 Alias added: GHSA-6c6h-gv8v-jjr7

References

  • TI-2021-13635 ProfilePress 3.0 - 3.1.3 - Unauthenticated Privilege Escalation CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
  • TI-2021-13638 ProfilePress 3.0 - 3.1.3 - Arbitrary File Upload in File Uploader Component CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
  • TI-2021-13637 ProfilePress 3.0 - 3.1.3 - Arbitrary File Upload in Image Uploader Component CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
  • TI-2021-13636 ProfilePress 3.0 - 3.1.3 - Authenticated Privilege Escalation CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
  • TI-2024-12168 ProfilePress < 4.15.20 - Admin+ Stored XSS CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 4.8
  • TI-2024-12167 ProfilePress < 4.15.20 - Admin+ Stored XSS CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 4.8
See all 63 →

Sources