Contributor-level stored XSS via unrestricted script insertion
Published Jun 7, 2023 · Updated Apr 8, 2026
Stored XSS in Visual Composer Website Builder 26.0 and earlier allows remote authenticated users to execute scripts via crafted editor input. The CSS/HTML/JavaScript settings page inherits edit_posts when no capability is supplied, and the editor decodes compressed, base64-encoded JSON without neutralizing embedded script before rendering it. Contributor-level access is sufficient, and stored payloads execute across front-end and administrative pages viewed by other users.
Summary
What happened
Stored XSS in Visual Composer Website Builder 26.0 and earlier allows remote authenticated users to execute scripts via crafted editor input. The CSS/HTML/JavaScript settings page inherits edit_posts when no capability is supplied, and the editor decodes compressed, base64-encoded JSON without neutralizing embedded script before rendering it. Contributor-level access is sufficient, and stored payloads execute across front-end and administrative pages viewed by other users.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2020-36722
- Published
- Jun 7, 2023
- Updated
- Apr 8, 2026
- Vendor
- Visual Composer
- Product
- Visual Composer Website Builder
- Classifications
- CWE-79, T1059.007
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jun 7, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Apr 8, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=0 <=26.0
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- NinTechNet authenticated stored XSS demonstrationproof of concept · demonstrated
Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.
Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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