CVE-2021-24545Public exploitNetwork attack vector

Stored XSS via unsanitized author biography HTML

Published Oct 11, 2021 · Updated Aug 3, 2024

Stored XSS in Ahmad Awais WP HTML Author Bio 1.2.0 and earlier allows remote authenticated users to execute JavaScript in visitors' browsers. The plugin accepts script-bearing HTML in an author's Biographical Info field without sanitization and renders it on that author's posts. Author-level access is required, and the payload executes when another user, including an administrator, views a related post.

CVSS severity5.4
Medium
EPSS probability1.80%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Stored XSS in Ahmad Awais WP HTML Author Bio 1.2.0 and earlier allows remote authenticated users to execute JavaScript in visitors' browsers. The plugin accepts script-bearing HTML in an author's Biographical Info field without sanitization and renders it on that author's posts. Author-level access is required, and the payload executes when another user, including an administrator, views a related post.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-24545
Published
Oct 11, 2021
Updated
Aug 3, 2024
Vendor
Ahmad Awais
Product
WP HTML Author Bio
Classifications
CWE-79, T1203
Attack vector
network
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Oct 11, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 3, 2024Record 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.

  1. Affected versionversion=1.2.0 <=1.2.0

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Ahmad Awais · WP HTML Author Bioversion=1.2.0 <=1.2.0

Published CVSS scores

5.4NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N
3.5NVDAV:N/AC:M/Au:S/C:N/I:P/A:N

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

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.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-79Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')
T1203Exploitation for Client Execution

Public exploit references

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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