CVE-2019-20042
In wp-includes/formatting.php in WordPress 3.7 to 5.3.0, the function wp_targeted_link_rel() can be used in a particular way to result in a stored cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability.
Does this matter?
Lower severity and a low EPSS score (2.76%). Track it; it rarely justifies an emergency change on its own.
Description
In wp-includes/formatting.php in WordPress 3.7 to 5.3.0, the function wp_targeted_link_rel() can be used in a particular way to result in a stored cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability. This has been patched in WordPress 5.3.1, along with all the previous WordPress versions from 3.7 to 5.3 via a minor release.
- CVSS 3.1
- 6.1 MEDIUMCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N
- EPSS
- 2.76% probability · 86th percentile
- Public exploits
- None in Exploit-DB
- CISA KEV
- Not listed
- Weakness
- CWE-79
- Affected
- wordpress/wordpress · debian/debian linux
- Source
- cve@mitre.org
EPSS 2.8% since 26 October 2026; no change recorded yet. Points are recorded when the score first appears and whenever it moves by a percentage point or more.
References
- https://blog.ripstech.com/filter/vulnerabilities/Not Applicable
- https://core.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/46894/trunkPatch
- https://github.com/WordPress/wordpress-develop/commit/1f7f3f1f59567e2504f0fbebd51ccf004b3ccb1dPatch
- https://github.com/WordPress/wordpress-develop/security/advisories/GHSA-xvg2-m2f4-83m7Third Party Advisory
- https://hackerone.com/reports/509930Third Party Advisory
- https://seclists.org/bugtraq/2020/Jan/8Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
- https://wordpress.org/news/2019/12/wordpress-5-3-1-security-and-maintenance-release/Release Notes, Vendor Advisory
- https://wpvulndb.com/vulnerabilities/9975Release Notes, Third Party Advisory
- https://www.debian.org/security/2020/dsa-4599Third Party Advisory
- https://www.debian.org/security/2020/dsa-4677Third Party Advisory
- https://blog.ripstech.com/filter/vulnerabilities/Not Applicable
- https://core.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/46894/trunkPatch
- https://github.com/WordPress/wordpress-develop/commit/1f7f3f1f59567e2504f0fbebd51ccf004b3ccb1dPatch
- https://github.com/WordPress/wordpress-develop/security/advisories/GHSA-xvg2-m2f4-83m7Third Party Advisory
- https://hackerone.com/reports/509930Third Party Advisory
- https://seclists.org/bugtraq/2020/Jan/8Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
- https://wordpress.org/news/2019/12/wordpress-5-3-1-security-and-maintenance-release/Release Notes, Vendor Advisory
- https://wpvulndb.com/vulnerabilities/9975Release Notes, Third Party Advisory
- https://www.debian.org/security/2020/dsa-4599Third Party Advisory
- https://www.debian.org/security/2020/dsa-4677Third Party Advisory
Source: NVD record, EPSS from FIRST.org, KEV from CISA, exploits from Exploit-DB. Refreshed daily. Download this record as JSON.