CVE-2019-16222

Name: CVE-2019-16222
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2019-09-11T14:15:12.1+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

MEDIUMCVSS 6.1/10EPSS 2.20%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2019-16222 is a medium-severity vulnerability rated 6.1/10 on the CVSS scale. WordPress before 5.2.3 has an issue with URL sanitization in wp_kses_bad_protocol_once in wp-includes/kses.php that can lead to cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks.. EPSS estimates a 2.20% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

WordPress before 5.2.3 has an issue with URL sanitization in wp_kses_bad_protocol_once in wp-includes/kses.php that can lead to cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

6.1/10

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N

EPSS Probability

2.20%

80.2th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-79

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Wordpress	Wordpress	< 5.2.3
Debian	Debian Linux	8.0
Debian	Debian Linux	9.0
Debian	Debian Linux	10.0

References

https://core.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/45997Patch, Vendor Advisory
https://github.com/WordPress/WordPress/commit/30ac67579559fe42251b5a9f887211bf61a8ed68Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2019/10/msg00023.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://seclists.org/bugtraq/2020/Jan/8Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://wordpress.org/news/2019/09/wordpress-5-2-3-security-and-maintenance-release/Release Notes, Vendor Advisory
https://wpvulndb.com/vulnerabilities/9867Exploit, Third Party Advisory
https://www.debian.org/security/2020/dsa-4599Third Party Advisory
https://www.debian.org/security/2020/dsa-4677Third Party Advisory
https://core.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/45997Patch, Vendor Advisory
https://github.com/WordPress/WordPress/commit/30ac67579559fe42251b5a9f887211bf61a8ed68Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2019/10/msg00023.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://seclists.org/bugtraq/2020/Jan/8Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://wordpress.org/news/2019/09/wordpress-5-2-3-security-and-maintenance-release/Release Notes, Vendor Advisory
https://wpvulndb.com/vulnerabilities/9867Exploit, Third Party Advisory
https://www.debian.org/security/2020/dsa-4599Third Party Advisory
https://www.debian.org/security/2020/dsa-4677Third Party Advisory

Timeline

Published: Sep 11, 2019
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2019-16222?

WordPress before 5.2.3 has an issue with URL sanitization in wp_kses_bad_protocol_once in wp-includes/kses.php that can lead to cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks.

How severe is CVE-2019-16222?

CVE-2019-16222 has a CVSS score of 6.1/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 2.20% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2019-16222?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

Are you affected by CVE-2019-16222?

Run a free Strix scan to check your systems for this vulnerability.

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST