CVE-2026-10738: The jQuery Hover Footnotes plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via Footnote Qualifier ('{{...}}' Syntax) in all versions...

Description

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.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

6.4/10

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

EPSS Probability

0.25%

16.6th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-79

References

Timeline

Published: Jun 9, 2026
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Deferred

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-10738?

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.

How severe is CVE-2026-10738?

CVE-2026-10738 has a CVSS score of 6.4/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.25% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2026-10738?

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.