📄 Description (English)
The Simple Divi Shortcode plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via the 'id' parameter of the [showmodule] shortcode in versions up to, and including, 1.2 This is due to insufficient input sanitization and output escaping in the showmodule_shortcode() function, which concatenates the 'id' shortcode attribute directly into a dynamically constructed shortcode string without applying esc_attr() or any escaping, allowing an attacker to break out of the attribute context and inject arbitrary HTML. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with contributor-level access and above, to inject arbitrary web scripts in pages that will execute whenever a user accesses an injected page.
🤖 AI Executive Summary
The Simple Divi Shortcode WordPress plugin (versions ≤1.2) contains a Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the [showmodule] shortcode that allows authenticated contributors to inject malicious scripts. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input sanitization of the 'id' parameter, enabling attackers to execute arbitrary JavaScript in the context of website visitors. While currently unpatched, the medium CVSS score (6.4) and requirement for contributor-level access limit immediate risk, but the persistent nature of stored XSS poses significant threats to Saudi organizations using WordPress.
📄 Description (Arabic)
🤖 AI Intelligence Analysis Analyzed: May 30, 2026 10:19
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia Impact Assessment
Saudi organizations operating WordPress-based websites—particularly government agencies, educational institutions, healthcare providers, and e-commerce platforms—face elevated risk. Government websites under NCA oversight, ARAMCO subsidiary digital properties, banking sector customer portals, and STC/telecom service platforms are most vulnerable. Compromised contributor accounts could inject malware, credential harvesters, or ransomware redirects affecting thousands of users. The vulnerability is particularly concerning for organizations hosting sensitive content or conducting transactions, as stored XSS can persist across sessions and affect all site visitors.
🏢 Affected Saudi Sectors
Government & Public Administration
Banking & Financial Services
Healthcare & Medical Institutions
Education & Universities
Energy & Utilities
Telecommunications
E-commerce & Retail
Media & Publishing
🎯 MITRE ATT&CK Techniques
T1190 - Exploit Public-Facing Application (WordPress plugin vulnerability)
T1598 - Phishing (via injected malicious scripts)
T1566 - Phishing (email with malicious links to compromised pages)
T1059 - Command and Scripting Interpreter (JavaScript execution)
T1547 - Boot or Logon Autostart Execution (persistent XSS payload)
T1056 - Input Capture (credential harvesting via injected forms)
⚖️ Saudi Risk Score (AI)
6.8
/ 10.0
🔧 Remediation Steps (English)
IMMEDIATE ACTIONS:
1. Audit all WordPress installations using Simple Divi Shortcode plugin; identify version numbers and disable the plugin if version ≤1.2
2. Review user access logs for contributor-level accounts; identify suspicious shortcode modifications in the past 90 days
3. Scan published pages/posts for [showmodule] shortcodes with suspicious 'id' parameter values containing HTML/JavaScript
COMPENSATING CONTROLS (until patch available):
1. Restrict contributor role permissions: disable shortcode usage via role management plugins (e.g., Members, User Role Editor)
2. Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to block requests containing [showmodule] shortcodes with unescaped HTML entities
3. Deploy Content Security Policy (CSP) headers: script-src 'self'; object-src 'none' to mitigate XSS execution
4. Enable WordPress security plugins (Wordfence, Sucuri) with malware scanning and shortcode monitoring
DETECTION RULES:
1. Monitor wp_posts table for [showmodule id=".*[<>'\"].*"] patterns
2. Alert on post_modified events by contributor accounts modifying posts containing [showmodule]
3. Log all shortcode rendering; flag instances where 'id' parameter contains HTML entities or JavaScript keywords
4. Monitor for unusual script execution in browser console logs from affected pages
PATCHING STRATEGY:
1. Contact plugin vendor for security update timeline; consider alternative plugins (Elementor, Beaver Builder) if no patch timeline provided
2. Once patched, test in staging environment before production deployment
3. Implement automated plugin update policies to prevent future vulnerable versions
🔧 خطوات المعالجة (العربية)
الإجراءات الفورية:
1. تدقيق جميع تثبيتات ووردبريس التي تستخدم مكون Simple Divi Shortcode؛ تحديد أرقام الإصدارات وتعطيل المكون إذا كان الإصدار ≤1.2
2. مراجعة سجلات الوصول للمستخدمين على مستوى المساهم؛ تحديد التعديلات المريبة على shortcode في آخر 90 يوماً
3. فحص الصفحات/المنشورات المنشورة بحثاً عن shortcodes [showmodule] بقيم معامل 'id' مريبة تحتوي على HTML/JavaScript
الضوابط التعويضية (حتى توفر التصحيح):
1. تقييد أذونات دور المساهم: تعطيل استخدام shortcode عبر مكونات إدارة الأدوار
2. تطبيق قواعد جدار الحماية (WAF) لحظر الطلبات التي تحتوي على shortcodes [showmodule] بكيانات HTML غير معالجة
3. نشر رؤوس Content Security Policy (CSP): script-src 'self'; object-src 'none' للتخفيف من تنفيذ XSS
4. تفعيل مكونات أمان ووردبريس (Wordfence, Sucuri) مع فحص البرامج الضارة ومراقبة shortcode
قواعد الكشف:
1. مراقبة جدول wp_posts بحثاً عن أنماط [showmodule id=".*[<>'\"].*"]
2. التنبيه على أحداث post_modified من قبل حسابات المساهمين التي تعدل المنشورات التي تحتوي على [showmodule]
3. تسجيل جميع عمليات تصيير shortcode؛ وضع علم على الحالات التي يحتوي فيها معامل 'id' على كيانات HTML أو كلمات رئيسية JavaScript
4. مراقبة تنفيذ البرامج النصية غير العادية في سجلات وحدة تحكم المتصفح من الصفحات المتأثرة
استراتيجية التصحيح:
1. الاتصال بمورد المكون للحصول على جدول زمني لتحديث الأمان؛ النظر في مكونات بديلة إذا لم يتم توفير جدول زمني
2. بمجرد التصحيح، الاختبار في بيئة التطوير قبل نشر الإنتاج
3. تطبيق سياسات تحديث المكونات الآلية لمنع الإصدارات الضعيفة في المستقبل
📋 Regulatory Compliance Mapping
🟢 NCA ECC 2024
ECC 2024 A.14.2.1 - Information security requirements for supplier relationships (plugin vendor accountability)
ECC 2024 A.12.6.1 - Management of technical vulnerabilities (patch management)
ECC 2024 A.14.1.1 - Information security policy for supplier relationships
🔵 SAMA CSF
SAMA CSF 2.2 - Vulnerability Management (identification and remediation of XSS vulnerabilities)
SAMA CSF 3.1 - Access Control (contributor role restrictions)
SAMA CSF 4.2 - Detection and Response (monitoring for malicious shortcode injection)
🟡 ISO 27001:2022
ISO 27001:2022 A.5.23 - Information security for supplier relationships
ISO 27001:2022 A.8.1 - User endpoint devices (XSS mitigation via CSP)
ISO 27001:2022 A.8.2 - Privileged access rights (contributor access control)
ISO 27001:2022 A.12.6.1 - Management of technical vulnerabilities
🟣 PCI DSS v4.0.1
PCI DSS 6.2 - Security patches for all system components (if payment processing involved)
PCI DSS 6.5.7 - Cross-site scripting prevention
🔗 References & Sources 4
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https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/simple-divi-shortcode/trunk/simple_divi_shor...
security@wordfence.com
https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/simple-divi-shortcode/trunk/simple_divi_shor...
security@wordfence.com
https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset?old_path=%2Fsimple-divi-shortcode/tags/1.2...
security@wordfence.com
https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/f188337e-023e-498e-b752-b5f3f...
security@wordfence.com