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CVE-2026-89274 – Unauthenticated Arbitrary Shortcode Execution – WP Recipe Maker ≤ 10.8.1

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Summary

CVE-2026-89274 is a critical arbitrary shortcode execution vulnerability in the WP Recipe Maker plugin for WordPress, affecting all versions up to and including 10.8.1. The flaw allows unauthenticated attackers to trigger server-side execution of any registered WordPress shortcode by submitting a specially crafted recipe rating comment, exposing sensitive data embedded in the resulting page output. The issue carries a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.1 (Critical).

Technical details

  • Root cause: The plugin’s WPRM_Metadata::sanitize_metadata() function recursively calls do_shortcode() on every scalar field of a recipe’s structured metadata array — including the reviewBody field, which is populated verbatim from the comment_content of approved wprm-comment-rating comments — before any sanitization is applied.
  • Ineffective sanitization order: The subsequent wp_strip_all_tags() and strip_shortcodes() calls operate only on the already-rendered output string, i.e., after shortcode execution has completed. This provides no actual protection against the injected code running.
  • Trigger conditions: An attacker submits a recipe rating/comment containing a malicious shortcode payload. Once the comment is approved — whether via the site’s auto-approval settings or manual moderator action — the plugin executes the embedded shortcode server-side on every subsequent render of the recipe page.
  • Attack vector: Network-based, unauthenticated (AV:N/PR:N/UI:N). No prior authentication or user interaction is required beyond normal comment submission and approval.
  • Impact: Successful exploitation allows execution of any shortcode registered on the site (including those exposing attachment captions, private post fields, or other sensitive data via installed plugins/themes). The output of the invoked shortcode can be embedded into the page’s JSON-LD reviewBody metadata and disclosed to every visitor who loads the affected recipe page, resulting in high-impact information disclosure and integrity loss with no direct availability impact.

Affected software

  • WP Recipe Maker (WordPress plugin) by brechtvds — all versions up to and including 10.8.1

Severity

  • CVSS v3.1 Base Score: 9.1 (Critical)
  • Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N
  • CWE-94: Improper Control of Generation of Code (‘Code Injection’)

Mitigation and recommended actions

  • Immediate: Upgrade WP Recipe Maker to version 10.8.2 or later, which fixes shortcode execution of comment text in recipe metadata.
  • If immediate patching is not possible:
    • Disable automatic approval of recipe rating comments and enable strict manual moderation to prevent malicious comments from reaching the approved state.
    • Consider temporarily disabling the recipe comment/rating feature until the plugin is updated.
    • Review recently approved recipe comments for shortcode-like syntax (e.g., strings enclosed in square brackets) and remove any suspicious entries.
    • Restrict or audit which shortcodes are registered/available on the site, since any registered shortcode could be leveraged for data exposure.

References

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