CVE-2026-4074: Quran Live Multilanguage XSS Vulnerability

CVE-2026-4074 Overview

The Quran Live Multilanguage plugin for WordPress contains a Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in versions up to and including 1.0.3. The vulnerability exists due to insufficient input sanitization and output escaping on user-supplied shortcode attributes, specifically the cheikh and lang parameters. Authenticated attackers with Contributor-level access or higher can inject arbitrary JavaScript code that executes whenever users access pages containing the malicious shortcode.

Critical Impact

Authenticated attackers can inject persistent malicious scripts into WordPress pages, potentially enabling session hijacking, credential theft, defacement, or redirection of site visitors to attacker-controlled domains.

Affected Products

• Quran Live Multilanguage WordPress Plugin version 1.0.3 and earlier
• WordPress sites using the vulnerable plugin with Contributor or higher user roles

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-04-22 - CVE-2026-4074 published to NVD
• 2026-04-22 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-4074

Vulnerability Analysis

This Stored Cross-Site Scripting vulnerability occurs because the plugin fails to properly sanitize and escape user-controlled shortcode attributes before rendering them into HTML output. The quran_live_render() function in quran-live.php receives shortcode attributes and passes them directly through shortcode_atts() and extract() without any sanitization. These unsanitized values are subsequently passed to Render_Quran_Live::render_verse_quran_live() where they are echoed directly into inline <script> blocks using PHP short tags.

The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because the output occurs inside a JavaScript context within <script> tags, allowing an attacker to break out of the JavaScript string context and inject arbitrary script code. The injection points are located at multiple lines in Class_QuranLive.php including lines 191, 216, 217, 245, and 246.

Root Cause

The root cause is a classic input validation failure combined with improper output encoding. The plugin uses PHP short echo tags (<?=$cheikh;?> and <?=$lang;?>) to directly output user-controlled values into JavaScript code blocks without any form of escaping or encoding. The extract() function usage further exacerbates the issue by converting array keys into variables without validation, creating multiple injection points where attacker-controlled data flows directly into executable script contexts.

Attack Vector

The attack requires authentication with at least Contributor-level privileges on the target WordPress installation. An attacker can craft a malicious shortcode that includes JavaScript payload in the cheikh or lang attributes. When the post or page containing this shortcode is published (or previewed by another user), the malicious JavaScript executes in the context of the victim's browser session.

The attack flow involves creating a post with a shortcode containing payload data that breaks out of the JavaScript string context. When rendered, the payload executes arbitrary JavaScript in the context of any user viewing the page. For technical details on the vulnerable code paths, see the Wordfence Vulnerability Report.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-4074

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected JavaScript code in posts or pages using the Quran Live shortcode
• Posts created by Contributor-level users containing suspicious shortcode attributes with encoded characters or script tags
• Browser console errors or unexpected redirects when viewing pages with the Quran Live shortcode
• Reports of session hijacking or account compromise following visits to specific pages

Detection Strategies

• Review WordPress posts and pages for suspicious shortcode content, particularly those containing special characters or script-like syntax in cheikh or lang attributes
• Monitor user activity logs for Contributor-level users creating or editing posts with the Quran Live shortcode
• Implement Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to detect and block inline script execution attempts
• Use web application firewalls (WAF) to identify XSS patterns in shortcode attributes

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed WordPress audit logging to track post creation and modification by all users
• Configure alerting for posts containing potentially malicious shortcode attribute patterns
• Monitor for unusual network requests originating from pages using the affected plugin
• Review browser developer console logs during security testing for unexpected script execution

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-4074

Immediate Actions Required

• Deactivate the Quran Live Multilanguage plugin until a patched version is available
• Audit all existing posts and pages using the plugin's shortcode for potential malicious content
• Review and restrict Contributor-level account access to minimize potential attack surface
• Implement strict Content Security Policy headers to mitigate impact of any stored XSS payloads

Patch Information

Check the WordPress plugin repository for updates to the Quran Live Multilanguage plugin. Monitor the WordPress plugin page for commits that address input sanitization and output escaping for shortcode attributes. Until an official patch is released, consider removing the plugin entirely or implementing the workarounds below.

Workarounds

• Remove or restrict Contributor and Author user roles from creating posts with the Quran Live shortcode
• Implement server-side input validation to strip or reject shortcode attributes containing suspicious characters
• Use a WordPress security plugin with XSS filtering capabilities to sanitize shortcode output
• Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) rule to block common XSS patterns in shortcode parameters

# Example: Restrict contributor capabilities via wp-config.php
# Add to functions.php to limit shortcode usage
add_filter('the_content', function($content) {
    if (current_user_can('contributor') && !current_user_can('edit_others_posts')) {
        $content = preg_replace('/\[quran_live[^\]]*\]/i', '', $content);
    }
    return $content;
}, 1);