CVE-2021-38316

Name: CVE-2021-38316
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2021-09-09T19:15:12.977+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

MEDIUMCVSS 6.1/10EPSS 0.91%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2021-38316 is a medium-severity vulnerability rated 6.1/10 on the CVSS scale. The WP Academic People List WordPress plugin is vulnerable to Reflected Cross-Site Scripting via the category_name parameter in the ~/admin-panel.php file which allows attackers to inject arbitrary web scripts, in versions up to and including 0.4.1.. EPSS estimates a 0.91% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

The WP Academic People List WordPress plugin is vulnerable to Reflected Cross-Site Scripting via the category_name parameter in the ~/admin-panel.php file which allows attackers to inject arbitrary web scripts, in versions up to and including 0.4.1.

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

0.91%

55.4th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Wp Academic People List Project	Wp Academic People List	<= 0.4.1

References

https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/wp-academic-people/tags/0.4.1/admin-panel.php#L57Exploit, Third Party Advisory
https://www.wordfence.com/vulnerability-advisories/#CVE-2021-38316Third Party Advisory
https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/wp-academic-people/tags/0.4.1/admin-panel.php#L57Exploit, Third Party Advisory
https://www.wordfence.com/vulnerability-advisories/#CVE-2021-38316Third Party Advisory

Timeline

Published: Sep 9, 2021
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-38316?

How severe is CVE-2021-38316?

CVE-2021-38316 has a CVSS score of 6.1/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.91% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2021-38316?

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-2021-38316?

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

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST