What the vulnerability does
01Description
The Employee Directory – Staff Listing & Team Directory Plugin for WordPress plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via the plugin's 'emd_mb_meta' shortcode in all versions up to, and including, 4.5.0 due to insufficient input sanitization and output escaping on user supplied attributes. 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.
Explanation of Vulnerability in Simple Terms
02Summary
The Employee Directory plugin for WordPress contains a cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in versions up to 4.5.0. An authenticated user with low privileges can inject malicious scripts that execute in other users' browsers, potentially affecting site visitors and administrators. The vulnerability has a changed scope, meaning the impact extends beyond the plugin itself to the broader site.
What an attacker can do
03Attacker Capabilities
Inject malicious JavaScript that runs in other users' browsers when they view the directory.
Potential impact on your site
04Site Impact
Authenticated users can steal admin session cookies, deface the directory, or redirect visitors to malicious sites.
Conditions required to exploit
05Prerequisites
Attacker must have a low-privilege WordPress account (e.g., subscriber or contributor role).
Key dates
06Disclosure timeline
June 4, 2025
CVE published
April 8, 2026
Record updated
