CVE-2026-4278
Simple Download Counter <= 2.3 - Authenticated (Contributor+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting via 'text' Shortcode Attribute
Description
The Simple Download Counter plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via the 'sdc_menu' shortcode in all versions up to, and including, 2.3. This is due to insufficient input sanitization and output escaping on user-supplied shortcode attributes, specifically the 'text' and 'cat' attributes. The 'text' attribute is output directly into HTML content on line 159 without any escaping (e.g., esc_html()). The 'cat' attribute is used unescaped in HTML class attributes on lines 135 and 157 without esc_attr(). 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.
INFO
Published Date :
March 26, 2026, 5:16 a.m.
Last Modified :
March 26, 2026, 5:16 a.m.
Remotely Exploit :
Yes !
Source :
[email protected]
Affected Products
The following products are affected by CVE-2026-4278
vulnerability.
Even if cvefeed.io is aware of the exact versions of the
products
that
are
affected, the information is not represented in the table below.
No affected product recoded yet
CVSS Scores
| Score | Version | Severity | Vector | Exploitability Score | Impact Score | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 3.1 | MEDIUM | [email protected] |
Solution
- Update the Simple Download Counter plugin to the latest version.
- Sanitize all user-supplied shortcode attributes.
- Escape output properly to prevent script injection.
References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools
Here, you will find a curated list of external links that provide in-depth
information, practical solutions, and valuable tools related to
CVE-2026-4278.
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration
While CVE identifies
specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or
weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-4278 is
associated with the following CWEs:
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification
(CAPEC)
stores attack patterns, which are descriptions of the common attributes and
approaches employed by adversaries to exploit the CVE-2026-4278
weaknesses.
We scan GitHub repositories to detect new proof-of-concept exploits. Following list is a collection of public exploits and proof-of-concepts, which have been published on GitHub (sorted by the most recently updated).
Results are limited to the first 15 repositories due to potential performance issues.
The following list is the news that have been mention
CVE-2026-4278 vulnerability anywhere in the article.
The following table lists the changes that have been made to the
CVE-2026-4278 vulnerability over time.
Vulnerability history details can be useful for understanding the evolution of a vulnerability, and for identifying the most recent changes that may impact the vulnerability's severity, exploitability, or other characteristics.
-
New CVE Received by [email protected]
Mar. 26, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added Description The Simple Download Counter plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via the 'sdc_menu' shortcode in all versions up to, and including, 2.3. This is due to insufficient input sanitization and output escaping on user-supplied shortcode attributes, specifically the 'text' and 'cat' attributes. The 'text' attribute is output directly into HTML content on line 159 without any escaping (e.g., esc_html()). The 'cat' attribute is used unescaped in HTML class attributes on lines 135 and 157 without esc_attr(). 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. Added CVSS V3.1 AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N Added CWE CWE-79 Added Reference https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/simple-download-counter/tags/2.3/inc/functions-shortcode.php#L135 Added Reference https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/simple-download-counter/tags/2.3/inc/functions-shortcode.php#L157 Added Reference https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/simple-download-counter/tags/2.3/inc/functions-shortcode.php#L159 Added Reference https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/simple-download-counter/tags/2.3/inc/functions-shortcode.php#L92 Added Reference https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/simple-download-counter/trunk/inc/functions-shortcode.php#L135 Added Reference https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/simple-download-counter/trunk/inc/functions-shortcode.php#L157 Added Reference https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/simple-download-counter/trunk/inc/functions-shortcode.php#L159 Added Reference https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/simple-download-counter/trunk/inc/functions-shortcode.php#L92 Added Reference https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset?sfp_email=&sfph_mail=&reponame=&old=3487364%40simple-download-counter&new=3487364%40simple-download-counter&sfp_email=&sfph_mail= Added Reference https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/f23dec73-9031-4829-a84b-4979c8e8ded4?source=cve