CVE-2026-56014 in Master Slider Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 06/25/2026
Unauthenticated Cross Site Scripting (XSS) in Master Slider <= 3.11.2 versions.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/25/2026
This vulnerability represents a critical security flaw in the Master Slider plugin for WordPress systems, affecting all versions up to and including 3.11.2. The issue manifests as an unauthenticated cross site scripting vulnerability that allows remote attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by users without requiring any authentication credentials or privileged access. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output sanitization within the plugin's handling of user-supplied data, particularly in parameters related to slider configurations and dynamic content rendering.
The technical exploitation occurs when malicious actors leverage the XSS vector to inject crafted script payloads into the plugin's administrative interfaces or frontend display components. These scripts execute in the context of the victim's browser session, potentially enabling attackers to steal session cookies, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of users, or redirect victims to malicious websites. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-79 as a failure to sanitize user input properly, which directly enables code injection attacks that bypass standard security mechanisms. From an operational perspective, this flaw poses significant risks to WordPress installations since Master Slider is widely used for creating interactive sliders and carousels across numerous websites.
The impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution as it can be leveraged for more sophisticated attacks such as credential theft through session hijacking or privilege escalation within the affected WordPress environment. Attackers can exploit the XSS to gain persistent access to user sessions, potentially compromising administrator accounts if they have sufficient privileges. The unauthenticated nature of the attack means that any visitor to the compromised website can trigger the malicious code execution, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous for high-traffic sites. According to ATT&CK framework categorization, this represents a technique under T1059.007 for scripting languages and T1566 for phishing with malicious attachments or links, as attackers can use the vulnerability to deliver malicious payloads to unsuspecting users.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement mitigations including updating to Master Slider version 3.11.3 or later where the XSS flaw has been patched. Additionally, implementing Content Security Policy headers can provide an additional layer of protection against script injection attacks, though this serves as a defense-in-depth measure rather than a complete solution. Network monitoring and intrusion detection systems should be configured to detect suspicious patterns in traffic related to the vulnerable plugin parameters. Regular security audits of WordPress installations should include verification of plugin versions and assessment of input validation practices across all installed components. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date software and implementing proper input sanitization techniques as recommended by OWASP Top Ten security guidelines, particularly focusing on preventing injection attacks through rigorous data validation and output encoding mechanisms.