CVE-2023-29099 in Divi Theme
Summary
by MITRE • 08/08/2023
Auth. (contributor+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Elegant themes Divi theme <= 4.20.2 versions.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/28/2026
The vulnerability CVE-2023-29099 represents a stored cross-site scripting flaw within the Elegant Themes Divi theme affecting versions up to and including 4.20.2. This security weakness specifically targets users with contributor level permissions or higher, making it particularly concerning for WordPress environments where multiple user roles exist. The issue stems from insufficient input validation and output sanitization mechanisms within the theme's backend processing capabilities, allowing authenticated attackers to inject malicious scripts that persist in the application's database.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the theme's content management interfaces where contributors and higher-privileged users can submit or modify content. When these malicious payloads are stored in the database, they become persistent threats that execute whenever other users access the affected pages. The flaw manifests as a failure to properly escape or filter user-supplied input before rendering it in web pages, creating an environment where attacker-controlled JavaScript code can be executed in the context of other users' browsers. This type of vulnerability directly maps to CWE-79 which defines cross-site scripting as the improper handling of untrusted data within a web application.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, data exfiltration, and privilege escalation within the compromised WordPress environment. An attacker with contributor access could potentially gain access to sensitive content, modify posts, or even escalate their privileges if the application's security controls are insufficient. The stored nature of the vulnerability means that once injected, the malicious code persists until manually removed, creating a long-term threat vector that can affect multiple users over time. This vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 which covers social engineering through malicious content injection.
Mitigation strategies should prioritize immediate patching of the Divi theme to version 4.20.3 or later, which contains the necessary security fixes. Administrators should also implement additional security measures including role-based access control restrictions, input validation enforcement, and regular security audits of user-generated content. The WordPress security community recommends monitoring for suspicious user activities and implementing content security policies to reduce the impact of successful XSS attacks. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and regular security scanning to detect and prevent exploitation attempts. Proper security training for content creators and administrators remains crucial in preventing unauthorized access and maintaining overall application security posture.