What the vulnerability does
01Description
The jQuery Hover Footnotes plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via Footnote Qualifier ('{{...}}' Syntax) in all versions up to, and including, 1.4 due to insufficient input sanitization and output escaping. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with author-level access and above, to inject arbitrary web scripts in pages that will execute whenever a user accesses an injected page. The attribute-breakout payload (e.g., a double-quote followed by an event handler) contains no angle brackets and therefore bypasses WordPress core's wp_kses_post() filtering, which only strips disallowed HTML tags rather than sanitizing attribute contexts.
Explanation of Vulnerability in Simple Terms
02Summary
jQuery Hover Footnotes versions 1.4 and earlier contain a cross-site scripting vulnerability that allows authenticated users to inject malicious scripts. The vulnerability has a changed scope, meaning the impact can extend beyond the vulnerable component itself. Site administrators should update to a version newer than 1.4 to mitigate this risk.
What an attacker can do
03Attacker Capabilities
Inject and execute malicious JavaScript code that affects other users or site functionality.
Potential impact on your site
04Site Impact
Authenticated users can inject scripts affecting other visitors or site operations; scope extends beyond the plugin.
Conditions required to exploit
05Prerequisites
Attacker must have a low-privilege user account on the site; no user interaction required.
Key dates
06Disclosure timeline
June 9, 2026
CVE published
June 9, 2026
Record updated
