CVE-2026-4267: Johnbillion/query monitor Cross-Site Scripting Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-2xr4-chcf-vmvf
CVSS 6.1
CWE-80
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-4267 is a MODERATE (CVSS 6.1) cross-site scripting vulnerability (CWE-80: Improper Neutralization of Script-Related HTML Tags in a Web Page (Basic XSS)) affecting Johnbillion/query monitor libraries in the Packagist ecosystem. The issue involves the query monitor plugin for wordpress has reflected cross-site scripting via request uri. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 3.20.4.

CVE-2026-4267 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-4267
GHSA Identifier GHSA-2xr4-chcf-vmvf
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 6.1
CWE Classification CWE-80: Improper Neutralization of Script-Related HTML Tags in a Web Page (Basic XSS)
Affected Product Johnbillion/query monitor
Package Ecosystem Packagist
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 6.1

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required None (PR:N)
User Interaction Required (UI:R)
Scope Changed (S:C)
Confidentiality Low (C:L)
Integrity Low (I:L)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2026-4267

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Johnbillion/query monitor dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

johnbillion/query-monitor fixed: 3.20.4
Upgrade johnbillion/query-monitor to 3.20.4
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release:

inspect dependencies for johnbillion/query-monitor

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your application is affected by CVE-2026-4267, inspect your project dependencies for Johnbillion/query monitor:

inspect dependencies for johnbillion/query-monitor

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Johnbillion/query monitor in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 3.20.4), your application is affected.

Note: Verify declared build manifests and deployed runtime container environments.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-80: Improper Neutralization of Script-Related HTML Tags in a Web Page (Basic XSS), where the product receives input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special characters such as "<", ">", and "&" that could be interpreted as web-scripting elements when they are sent to a downstream component that processes web pages. In Johnbillion/query monitor, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

### Impact The Query Monitor plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Reflected Cross-Site Scripting via the `$_SERVER['REQUEST_URI']` parameter in all versions up to, and including, 3.20.3 due to insufficient output escaping. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to inject arbitrary web scripts in pages that execute if they can successfully trick an Administrator-level user into performing an action such as clicking on a link. On admin requests, the plugin reads user controlled data from `$_SERVER['REQUEST_URI']` and stores it in the request field, then renders `request`, `matched_query`, and `query_string` through `format_url()`. If the attacker supplied string does not contain `&`, `format_url()` returns it without HTML escaping, which allows injected HTML or JavaScript from the request target to be inserted directly into the page inside a `<code>` element and executed in the victim's browser. ### Patches This issue has been patched in Query Monitor 3.20.4. ### Credits Many thanks to Dmitrii Ignatyev at CleanTalk for responsibly disclosing this vulnerability. ### How can I report a security bug? You can submit a private security vulnerability report to Query Monitor via [the Security tab on the GitHub repo](https://github.com/johnbillion/query-monitor/security). The GitHub Security Advisory process facilitates private collaboration on security issues. You'll receive credit for a valid report and a CVE if necessary.

CVE-2026-4267 Affected Johnbillion/query monitor Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
3.20.4
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
johnbillion/query-monitor
Packagist
< 3.20.4
3.20.4

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-4267?
CVE-2026-4267 is a security vulnerability in Johnbillion/query monitor involving The Query Monitor plugin for WordPress has Reflected Cross-Site Scripting via Request URI under CWE-80: Improper Neutralization of Script-Related HTML Tags in a Web Page (Basic XSS).
Which Johnbillion/query monitor versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 3.20.4 across affected packages: johnbillion/query-monitor.
What version fixes CVE-2026-4267?
Upgrading to 3.20.4 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is johnbillion/query-monitor affected?
Yes, johnbillion/query-monitor is affected in releases prior to 3.20.4. Upgrade your dependency to 3.20.4 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-4267?
CVE-2026-4267 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.1 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-4267?
CVE-2026-4267 is classified under CWE-80: Improper Neutralization of Script-Related HTML Tags in a Web Page (Basic XSS) (The product receives input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special characters such as "<", ">", and "&" that could be interpreted as web-scripting elements when they are sent to a downstream component that processes web pages.).
How can I check Packagist dependencies for CVE-2026-4267?
Run the dependency tree command: 'inspect dependencies for johnbillion/query-monitor'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-2xr4-chcf-vmvf",
  "modified" : "2026-03-19T19:37:04Z",
  "published" : "2026-03-19T19:37:04Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-4267" ],
  "summary" : "The Query Monitor plugin for WordPress has Reflected Cross-Site Scripting via Request URI",
  "details" : "### Impact\n\nThe Query Monitor plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Reflected Cross-Site Scripting via the `$_SERVER['REQUEST_URI']` parameter in all versions up to, and including, 3.20.3 due to insufficient output escaping. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to inject arbitrary web scripts in pages that execute if they can successfully trick an Administrator-level user into performing an action such as clicking on a link.\n\nOn admin requests, the plugin reads user controlled data from `$_SERVER['REQUEST_URI']` and stores it in the request field, then renders `request`, `matched_query`, and `query_string` through `format_url()`. If the attacker supplied string does not contain `&`, `format_url()` returns it without HTML escaping, which allows injected HTML or JavaScript from the request target to be inserted directly into the page inside a `<code>` element and executed in the victim's browser.\n\n### Patches\n\nThis issue has been patched in Query Monitor 3.20.4.\n\n### Credits\n\nMany thanks to Dmitrii Ignatyev at CleanTalk for responsibly disclosing this vulnerability.\n\n### How can I report a security bug?\n\nYou can submit a private security vulnerability report to Query Monitor via [the Security tab on the GitHub repo](https://github.com/johnbillion/query-monitor/security). The GitHub Security Advisory process facilitates private collaboration on security issues. You'll receive credit for a valid report and a CVE if necessary.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Packagist",
      "name" : "johnbillion/query-monitor"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "3.20.4"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/johnbillion/query-monitor/security/advisories/GHSA-2xr4-chcf-vmvf"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/johnbillion/query-monitor"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-80" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-03-19T19:37:04Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : null
  }
}