CVE-2026-1382 in fresh Podcaster Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 07/11/2026
The fresh Podcaster plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via the 'freshpodcaster' shortcode in all versions up to, and including, 1.0.7 due to insufficient input sanitization and output escaping on user supplied attributes. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with contributor-level access and above, to inject arbitrary web scripts in pages that will execute whenever a user accesses an injected page.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/11/2026
The fresh Podcaster plugin for WordPress represents a critical security vulnerability through its stored cross-site scripting flaw in the 'freshpodcaster' shortcode functionality. This vulnerability affects all versions up to and including 1.0.7, creating a persistent threat vector that can be exploited by authenticated attackers who possess contributor-level privileges or higher. The issue stems from inadequate input sanitization measures and insufficient output escaping mechanisms that fail to properly validate or sanitize user-supplied attributes before processing them within the plugin's shortcode implementation.
The technical nature of this vulnerability places it squarely within the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, specifically manifesting as a stored XSS variant where malicious scripts are permanently injected into the plugin's shortcode handling mechanism. Attackers can leverage this weakness by crafting malicious payloads within the shortcode attributes that will be executed whenever any user accesses pages containing the compromised content. This persistent nature makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous as the malicious code remains embedded in the system and executes automatically without requiring repeated exploitation attempts.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it provides attackers with a potential foothold for more sophisticated attacks within the WordPress environment. Contributors and higher privilege users can inject scripts that may steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or even execute commands on the server if additional vulnerabilities exist. This creates a pathway for attackers to escalate their privileges, access sensitive data, or potentially compromise the entire WordPress installation through the exploitation of this single vulnerable shortcode attribute processing mechanism.
From a mitigation perspective, immediate patching of the plugin to version 1.0.8 or later is essential to address the input sanitization and output escaping deficiencies. Organizations should implement additional security measures including role-based access control reviews to limit contributor privileges where possible, and regular monitoring of user-generated content for suspicious shortcode usage patterns. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1546.001 - Application Shimming and potentially T1059.001 - Command and Scripting Interpreter when considering the potential for command execution through chained attacks. Network segmentation and web application firewalls can provide additional defense-in-depth measures while administrators should conduct thorough security audits of all active WordPress plugins to identify similar input validation weaknesses that could be exploited in similar fashion.
This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input sanitization and output escaping practices in web applications, particularly within content management systems where user-generated content processing is common. The flaw represents a fundamental breakdown in the principle of least privilege and input validation that can have cascading effects throughout the entire WordPress ecosystem when exploited by attackers with even limited access rights.