CVE-2026-116546 in Job Portal Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 10/31/2026
The WP Job Portal – AI-Powered Recruitment System for Company or Job Board website plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via the 'degreetitle' parameter in all versions up to, and including, 2.7.0 due to insufficient input sanitization and output escaping. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with subscriber-level access and above, to inject arbitrary web scripts in pages that will execute whenever a user accesses an injected page. The plugin's self-registration flow allows any visitor to create a Subscriber-backed Employer account, meaning this vulnerability is effectively exploitable by any user who can register on the site.
Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/31/2026
The WP Job Portal – AI-Powered Recruitment System for Company or Job Board website plugin presents a significant security risk due to a stored cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability affecting all versions up to and including 2.7.0. This flaw stems from insufficient input sanitization and output escaping mechanisms within the application code, specifically targeting the degreetitle parameter. In web development, proper handling of user-supplied data is critical to preventing malicious script injection. When an application fails to adequately sanitize inputs or escape outputs before rendering them in a browser context, it creates an avenue for attackers to inject client-side scripts that execute unintentionally when other users view the affected content. This particular vulnerability allows authenticated attackers with subscriber-level access and above to introduce arbitrary web scripts into pages managed by the plugin. The execution of these scripts occurs whenever any user accesses a page containing the injected payload, leading to potential compromise of user sessions or data theft.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is substantial because it leverages the self-registration flow inherent in many WordPress plugins. This feature allows any visitor to create an account with Subscriber-level privileges without requiring administrative approval. Consequently, the attack surface is expanded significantly as virtually anyone who can access the website has the ability to register and subsequently exploit the flaw. By injecting malicious scripts through the degreetitle parameter, attackers can perform actions such as stealing session cookies, redirecting users to phishing sites, or defacing web pages. These attacks undermine user trust and can lead to severe data breaches, particularly in recruitment contexts where sensitive personal information is frequently processed. The ability for low-privileged accounts to execute these scripts highlights a critical gap in access control validation regarding the security implications of such actions.
From an industry standards perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which classifies improper neutralization of input during web page generation known as cross-site scripting. Additionally, it maps to MITRE ATT&CK technique T1059, specifically subtechnique 007 for JavaScript execution, illustrating how attackers leverage browser-based scripts to achieve their objectives. The stored nature of the XSS means that the malicious payload persists on the server side until manually removed or overwritten, increasing the likelihood of victim interaction compared to reflected variants. This persistence amplifies the potential damage by exposing multiple users over time rather than just a single instance upon request.
To mitigate this vulnerability, immediate action is required from site administrators and plugin developers. Upgrading the WP Job Portal plugin to version 2.7.1 or later resolves the issue as it includes patches for input sanitization and output escaping deficiencies. Until an update can be applied, implementing Web Application Firewall rules that detect and block common XSS payloads in HTTP requests related to the degreetitle parameter can provide temporary protection. Furthermore, enforcing stricter registration policies, such requiring manual approval for new accounts or limiting self-registration capabilities, reduces the number of potential attackers who can exploit this flaw. Regular security audits and code reviews focusing on input validation practices are essential preventive measures against similar vulnerabilities in future development cycles.