CVE-2026-2501 in Ed's Social Share Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 03/21/2026
The Ed's Social Share plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via the plugin's `social_share` shortcode in all versions up to, and including, 2.0. This is 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 • 03/21/2026
The Ed's Social Share plugin for WordPress presents a critical stored cross-site scripting vulnerability identified as CVE-2026-2501 affecting all versions up to and including 2.0. This vulnerability resides within the plugin's `social_share` shortcode implementation and represents a significant security flaw that undermines the integrity of WordPress installations. The issue stems from inadequate input sanitization mechanisms and insufficient output escaping procedures that fail to properly validate or sanitize user-supplied attributes before processing them within the shortcode functionality.
The technical flaw manifests when authenticated attackers with contributor-level permissions or higher exploit the vulnerability by injecting malicious scripts through the plugin's shortcode attributes. These attackers can leverage their elevated privileges to insert malicious code that gets stored within the WordPress database and subsequently executed whenever any user accesses pages containing the compromised shortcode. This stored nature of the vulnerability means that the malicious payload persists even after the initial injection, creating a continuous threat vector that can affect multiple users over time. The vulnerability specifically targets the plugin's handling of user-supplied attributes, where input validation is insufficient to prevent the insertion of potentially harmful script code.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, creating a persistent threat that can be exploited for various malicious purposes including credential theft, session hijacking, and redirection to malicious sites. Attackers can craft sophisticated attacks that leverage the stored XSS to capture user sessions, redirect victims to phishing sites, or even deploy additional malware through browser-based exploits. The contributor-level access requirement means that the vulnerability can be exploited by users who already have significant privileges within the WordPress environment, potentially allowing for more extensive damage when combined with other compromised accounts or privileges. This threat is particularly concerning in multi-user environments where contributors may have access to sensitive content or administrative functions.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in software applications, and demonstrates characteristics consistent with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for initial access through malicious content. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including plugin updates to versions that address the sanitization and escaping mechanisms, along with comprehensive monitoring for suspicious shortcode usage patterns. Additional protective measures include implementing strict input validation on all user-supplied content, enforcing proper output escaping for all dynamic content, and conducting regular security audits of installed plugins. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls and content security policies can provide additional layers of defense, while regular security training for users with contributor privileges helps reduce the risk of successful exploitation through social engineering or privilege abuse.