CVE-2019-16780Stored cross-site scripting (XSS) in WordPress block editor
- 5.8MediumCVSS base score
- 1.7%Exploitation in 30 daysEPSS · top 22% of all CVEs
- NoKnown exploitednot in CISA's KEV catalog
- NonePublic exploitsnone known yet
Description
WordPress users with lower privileges (like contributors) can inject JavaScript code in the block editor using a specific payload, which is executed within the dashboard. This can lead to XSS if an admin opens the post in the editor. Execution of this attack does require an authenticated user. This has been patched in WordPress 5.3.1, along with all the previous WordPress versions from 3.7 to 5.3 via a minor release. Automatic updates are enabled by default for minor releases and we strongly recommend that you keep them enabled.
Timeline
ID reserved
By GitHub_M
- 3 months later
· 3 months later
Published
- 5 years later
· 5 years later
Record updated
Changes after publication (a new score, a public exploit, EPSS crossing 1, 10 or 50 %, leaving KEV) are kept since November 2026; earlier ones are not known.
Scores
| Scored by | CVSS | Score | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| GitHub_MCNA (assigner) | 3.1 | Medium5.8 | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N |
| NVDNVD · Modified | 3.1 | Medium5.4 | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N |
- EPSS (exploitation in 30 days)
- 1.7% · top 22% of all CVEs (12 Nov 2026)
The list uses the assigner's score when there is one, then CISA's, then NVD's: Medium 5.8.
Affected products
References
References8
- https://wpvulndb.com/vulnerabilities/9976 (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
- https://github.com/WordPress/wordpress-develop/security/advisories/GHSA-x3wp-h3qx-9w94 (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred
- https://wordpress.org/news/2019/12/wordpress-5-3-1-security-and-maintenance-release/ (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
- https://github.com/WordPress/wordpress-develop/commit/505dd6a20b6fc3d06130018c1caeff764248c29e (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
- https://hackerone.com/reports/738644 (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
- 20200108 [SECURITY] [DSA 4599-1] wordpress security update (opens in a new tab)mailing-listx_refsource_BUGTRAQx_transferred
- DSA-4599 (opens in a new tab)vendor-advisoryx_refsource_DEBIANx_transferred
- DSA-4677 (opens in a new tab)vendor-advisoryx_refsource_DEBIANx_transferred
Sources
The same CVE in the primary databases and aggregators, to check against.
- CVE.org record (opens in a new tab)
- CVE List JSON (GitHub) (opens in a new tab)
- NVD (opens in a new tab)
- FIRST EPSS (opens in a new tab)
- EUVD EUVD-2019-7298 (opens in a new tab)
- OSV.dev (opens in a new tab)
- GitHub Advisories (opens in a new tab)
- CIRCL Vulnerability-Lookup (opens in a new tab)
Badge for a README or a ticket
[](https://cveledger.app/cve/CVE-2019-16780)Record last updated .