CVE-2026-119370 in The Events Calendar Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 10/30/2026
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') vulnerability in Liquid Web / StellarWP The Events Calendar the-events-calendar allows Stored XSS.This issue affects The Events Calendar: from n/a through 6.18.2.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/30/2026
The identified security flaw represents a classic instance of Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, commonly known as Cross-Site Scripting or XSS. Specifically, this vulnerability manifests as a Stored XSS within the The Events Calendar plugin for WordPress, developed by StellarWP and distributed through Liquid Web environments. Unlike reflected XSS attacks where malicious scripts are executed immediately via a crafted URL, stored vulnerabilities persist on the target server. In this context, an attacker can inject malicious JavaScript code into data fields that are subsequently saved to the database. When other users or administrators view these events in their web browsers, the browser interprets and executes the embedded script as part of the legitimate page content, leading to a persistent compromise of user sessions and potentially broader system integrity.
The technical root cause lies in insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within versions 6.18.2 and earlier of The Events Calendar. When users submit event details such titles, descriptions, or custom fields, the application fails to properly sanitize special characters that have semantic meaning in HTML and JavaScript contexts. This oversight allows attackers to bypass standard filtering rules by injecting script tags, event handlers, or other executable code fragments. Because the data is stored server-side before being rendered, the malicious payload remains active until manually removed from the database, affecting every user who accesses the compromised content.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant due to its persistent nature and potential for widespread exploitation. Successful exploitation allows an attacker to execute arbitrary JavaScript in the context of the victim's browser session. This capability enables several severe consequences including session hijacking where attackers steal authentication cookies to impersonate legitimate users, defacement of web pages by altering displayed content, or redirection of victims to malicious phishing sites designed to harvest credentials. Furthermore, if administrative privileges are compromised through this vector, an attacker could gain full control over the WordPress installation, leading to complete data exfiltration, malware distribution to site visitors, and potential lateral movement within the hosting infrastructure.
From a classification perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Cross-site Scripting in the Common Weakness Enumeration database. It also maps directly to MITRE ATT&CK technique T1059.007 which covers JavaScript as an executable payload within web applications. The stored nature of this XSS places it under sub-technique persistence mechanisms where malicious content is embedded into application data stores for long-term access and impact.
Mitigation strategies must address both immediate remediation and long-term security posture improvements. The primary corrective action is to upgrade the The Events Calendar plugin to version 6.18.3 or later, which includes patches that enforce strict input sanitization and output encoding protocols. For organizations unable to patch immediately due to compatibility constraints, implementing a Web Application Firewall can provide temporary protection by filtering out known malicious payloads in HTTP requests before they reach the application logic. Additionally, developers should review custom code interacting with event data to ensure consistent use of context-aware escaping functions provided by the WordPress framework. Regular security audits and penetration testing focused on input validation boundaries are recommended to identify similar weaknesses across other plugins and themes within the environment.