Contributor-level stored XSS via unescaped block attributes
Published Nov 30, 2023 · Updated Apr 28, 2026
Stored XSS in Automattic Jetpack 12.8-a.1 and earlier allows remote authenticated users to execute JavaScript through crafted blocks. Button, Recurring Payments, Story, and VideoPress renderers place attacker-controlled block attributes into HTML tags without adequate escaping or allowlisting. Contributor access is sufficient, and execution occurs when another user views the stored page, enabling data theft or privilege escalation.
Summary
What happened
Stored XSS in Automattic Jetpack 12.8-a.1 and earlier allows remote authenticated users to execute JavaScript through crafted blocks. Button, Recurring Payments, Story, and VideoPress renderers place attacker-controlled block attributes into HTML tags without adequate escaping or allowlisting. Contributor access is sufficient, and execution occurs when another user views the stored page, enabling data theft or privilege escalation.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2023-45050
- Published
- Nov 30, 2023
- Updated
- Apr 28, 2026
- Vendor
- Automattic
- Product
- Jetpack
- Classifications
- CWE-79, T1059.007
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Nov 30, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Apr 28, 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=n/a <=12.8-a.1 changes=[{"at":"12.8-a.3","status":"unaffected"}]
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- Patchstack Jetpack Gutenberg block XSS technical demonstrationproof of concept · demonstrated
Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.
Technologies
Your stack
See the directory against your own environment.
Your stack
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