Arbitrary shortcode execution in ProfilePress user profile comments
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
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| properfraction | Paid Membership Plugin, Ecommerce, User Registration Form, Login Form, User Profile & Restrict Content – ProfilePress | up to 4.17.5 | — | No fix listed | CNA |
- 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.
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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
- 2026-10-16 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-104003
- 2026-10-16 Alias added: GHSA-6c6h-gv8v-jjr7
References
Other 7
- https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/83adfbff-f625-4474-81b9-961c496d59a0?source=cve
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/wp-user-avatar/tags/4.17.5/src/ShortcodeParser/FrontendProfileTag.php#L142
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/wp-user-avatar/tags/4.17.5/src/ShortcodeParser/Builder/FrontendProfileBuilder.php#L169
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/wp-user-avatar/tags/4.17.5/src/Themes/DragDrop/UserProfile/DefaultTemplate.php#L379
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/wp-user-avatar/tags/4.17.5/src/Functions/GlobalFunctions.php#L1768
- https://pastebin.com/raw/pCgrW6Pf
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/wp-user-avatar/tags/4.17.6/src/ShortcodeParser/FrontendProfileTag.php
More properfraction vulnerabilities
- 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
Sources
- CVE-2026-104003 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-104003 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-6c6h-gv8v-jjr7 · 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