CVE-2026-8438: Software Security Vulnerability Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-p64v-fh44-3cqj
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CVSS 7.2
CWE-79
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-8438 is a HIGH (CVSS 7.2) security vulnerability vulnerability (CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')) affecting Software libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The weakness occurs when the product does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes user-controllable input before it is placed in output that is used as a web page that is served to other users.. Remediation is available in the latest vendor maintenance releases.

CVE-2026-8438 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-8438
GHSA Identifier GHSA-p64v-fh44-3cqj
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 7.2
CWE Classification CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')
Affected Product Software
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 7.2

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:N/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 None (UI:N)
Scope Changed (S:C)
Confidentiality Low (C:L)
Integrity Low (I:L)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2026-8438

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

Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

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

mvn dependency:tree

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2026-8438, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree

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

Note: The mvn dependency:tree command inspects the resolved dependency graph declared in your project's POM files; it does not perform automated security scanning or inspect runtime dynamic classpaths. Always verify runtime container classpaths and shaded JARs.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting'), where the product does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes user-controllable input before it is placed in output that is used as a web page that is served to other users. In Software, 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

The All-In-One Security (AIOS) – Security and Firewall plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting in versions up to and including 5.4.7. This is due to insufficient input sanitization in the get_rest_route() function and missing output escaping in the column_default() method of the debug log list table. When the 'Disable REST API for non-logged in users' feature (aiowps_disallow_unauthorized_rest_requests) is enabled alongside debug logging (aiowps_enable_debug), an unauthenticated attacker can embed arbitrary HTML or JavaScript in the REST request path. The path is retrieved via urldecode($_SERVER['REQUEST_URI']), which decodes URL-encoded payloads into literal HTML characters. This decoded, unsanitized value is concatenated directly into a debug log message and stored in the database. When an administrator navigates to the AIOS Dashboard Debug Logs page, the column_default() method returns the raw database value without escaping, and the parent list table echoes it directly, causing JavaScript execution in the administrator's browser session. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to inject arbitrary web scripts that execute when an administrator views the debug log page, enabling nonce theft, privileged AJAX/REST actions, and potential full site compromise.

References

NVD — CVE-2026-8438 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-8438
Software Security Information SECURITY
https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/all-in-one-wp-security-and-firewall/tags/5.4.6/admin/wp-security-list-debug.php#L43
Software Security Information SECURITY
https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/all-in-one-wp-security-and-firewall/tags/5.4.6/classes/wp-security-debug-logger.php#L81
Software Security Information SECURITY
https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/all-in-one-wp-security-and-firewall/tags/5.4.6/classes/wp-security-general-init-tasks.php#L887
Software Security Information SECURITY
https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/all-in-one-wp-security-and-firewall/tags/5.4.6/classes/wp-security-utility.php#L1547
Software Security Information SECURITY
https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/all-in-one-wp-security-and-firewall/trunk/admin/wp-security-list-debug.php#L43
Software Security Information SECURITY
https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/all-in-one-wp-security-and-firewall/trunk/classes/wp-security-debug-logger.php#L81
Software Security Information SECURITY
https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/all-in-one-wp-security-and-firewall/trunk/classes/wp-security-general-init-tasks.php#L887
Software Security Information SECURITY
https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/all-in-one-wp-security-and-firewall/trunk/classes/wp-security-utility.php#L1547
plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/3558989 WEB
https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/3558989
www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulner... WEB
https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/d2b7ed73-a654-40ef-8d80-6171393da8e7?source=cve

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-8438?
CVE-2026-8438 is a security vulnerability in Software classified as a security vulnerability vulnerability under CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting').
Which Software versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to current release patches.
What version fixes CVE-2026-8438?
Upgrading to current release patches (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-8438?
CVE-2026-8438 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.2 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-8438?
CVE-2026-8438 is classified under CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') (The product does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes user-controllable input before it is placed in output that is used as a web page that is served to other users.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2026-8438?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree'. 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
View Raw JSON 
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  "id" : "GHSA-p64v-fh44-3cqj",
  "modified" : "2026-06-06T03:31:21Z",
  "published" : "2026-06-06T03:31:21Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-8438" ],
  "details" : "The All-In-One Security (AIOS) – Security and Firewall plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting in versions up to and including 5.4.7. This is due to insufficient input sanitization in the get_rest_route() function and missing output escaping in the column_default() method of the debug log list table. When the 'Disable REST API for non-logged in users' feature (aiowps_disallow_unauthorized_rest_requests) is enabled alongside debug logging (aiowps_enable_debug), an unauthenticated attacker can embed arbitrary HTML or JavaScript in the REST request path. The path is retrieved via urldecode($_SERVER['REQUEST_URI']), which decodes URL-encoded payloads into literal HTML characters. This decoded, unsanitized value is concatenated directly into a debug log message and stored in the database. When an administrator navigates to the AIOS Dashboard Debug Logs page, the column_default() method returns the raw database value without escaping, and the parent list table echoes it directly, causing JavaScript execution in the administrator's browser session. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to inject arbitrary web scripts that execute when an administrator views the debug log page, enabling nonce theft, privileged AJAX/REST actions, and potential full site compromise.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
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  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/all-in-one-wp-security-and-firewall/trunk/admin/wp-security-list-debug.php#L43"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/all-in-one-wp-security-and-firewall/trunk/classes/wp-security-debug-logger.php#L81"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/all-in-one-wp-security-and-firewall/trunk/classes/wp-security-general-init-tasks.php#L887"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/all-in-one-wp-security-and-firewall/trunk/classes/wp-security-utility.php#L1547"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/3558989"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/d2b7ed73-a654-40ef-8d80-6171393da8e7?source=cve"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-79" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : false,
    "github_reviewed_at" : null,
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-06-06T02:16:21Z"
  }
}