CVE-2026-78438
The W3 Total Cache plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via Comment Content via LazyLoad Background Mutator in all versions up to, and including, 2.10.5 due to insufficient input sanitization and output escaping.
Does this matter?
High impact if exploited, but EPSS currently rates exploitation as unlikely (0.29%). Schedule it in the normal patch cycle and watch for a rise in EPSS or a public exploit.
Description
The W3 Total Cache plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via Comment Content via LazyLoad Background Mutator in all versions up to, and including, 2.10.5 due to insufficient input sanitization and output escaping. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to inject arbitrary web scripts in pages that will execute whenever a user accesses an injected page. This requires the "Lazy Load Images" feature with "Process background images" to be enabled, and the malicious comment to be approved by a moderator before execution is triggered.
- CVSS 3.1
- 7.2 HIGHCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N
- EPSS
- 0.29% probability · 21th percentile
- CISA KEV
- Not listed
- Weakness
- CWE-79
- Source
- security@wordfence.com
References
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/w3-total-cache/tags/2.10.5/UserExperience_LazyLoad_Mutator.php#L255
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/w3-total-cache/tags/2.10.5/UserExperience_LazyLoad_Mutator.php#L293
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/w3-total-cache/tags/2.10.5/UserExperience_LazyLoad_Mutator.php#L91
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/w3-total-cache/tags/2.10.5/UserExperience_LazyLoad_Plugin.php#L87
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/3680101/w3-total-cache/tags/2.10.6/UserExperience_LazyLoad_Mutator.php
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset?old_path=%2Fw3-total-cache/tags/2.10.5&new_path=%2Fw3-total-cache/tags/2.10.6
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset?reponame=&new=3680101%40w3-total-cache%2Ftags%2F2.10.6&old=3653442%40w3-total-cache%2Ftags%2F2.10.5
- https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/5580ad05-af50-4899-9cbf-39ad8000eb6a?source=cve
Source: NVD record, EPSS from FIRST.org, KEV from CISA. Refreshed daily.