CVE-2024-9638: The Category Posts Widget WordPress plugin before 4.9.18 does not sanitise and escape some of its settings, wh

Q: How do I fix CVE-2024-9638?

category posts widget: upgrade to 4.9.18. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Q: Is CVE-2024-9638 being exploited?

CVE-2024-9638 is not on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list at the time of the last update. Check again, as this can change.

Q: What does CVE-2024-9638 affect?

CVE-2024-9638 affects category posts widget. Severity is medium (CVSS 4.8). The Category Posts Widget WordPress plugin before 4.9.18 does not sanitise and escape some of its settings, which could allow high privilege users such as admin to perform Stored Cross-Site Scripting attacks even when the unfiltered_html ca

Q: How urgent is CVE-2024-9638?

Priority 30/100. Public exploit reference

Routine

MEDIUM 4.8UPGRADE

CVE-2024-9638 is a medium-severity flaw (CVSS 4.8) affecting category posts widget. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

The Category Posts Widget WordPress plugin before 4.9.18 does not sanitise and escape some of its settings, which could allow high privilege users such as admin to perform Stored Cross-Site Scripting attacks even when the unfiltered_html capability is disallowed (for example in multisite setup).

Why this priority

Public exploit reference

A fixed release or distro patch exists.

Risk facts

CVSS score	4.8 (Medium)
Attack vector	Network (remote)
Attack complexity	Low
Privileges needed	High
User interaction	Required
EPSS exploit chance	0.4% (top 68%)
CISA exploited list	No
Weakness	CWE-79
Published	2025-01-07
Last modified	2026-06-17

Publisher (CNA): WPScan · Vendor: zephyrwest

Last updated 2026-06-17 · Sources: CVE Program, NVD, CISA KEV, EPSS and vendor advisories · How we score

Am I affected?

Timeline

2025-01-07 06:15 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-06-17 08:24 UTCUpdated Record last modified

zephyrwest category posts widget UPGRADE

Affected: < 4.9.18

Fixed in: 4.9.18

Safe to downgrade to: no unaffected older release

1. Check installed version

apt-cache policy category-posts-widget || rpm -q category-posts-widget || category-posts-widget --version

2. UPGRADE to 4.9.18 (Debian / Ubuntu)

sudo apt update && sudo apt install --only-upgrade category-posts-widget

2. UPGRADE (RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora)

sudo dnf upgrade category-posts-widget

Note

Distros often backport fixes without changing the version number. Confirm with the distro advisory or changelog.

Verify at the official source NVD · CVE Program · Report a problem with this page
Scores and fixes here are computed automatically from those and other public sources. Confirm with the vendor advisory before changing production systems.

Quick answers

How do I fix CVE-2024-9638?

category posts widget: upgrade to 4.9.18. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Is CVE-2024-9638 being exploited?

CVE-2024-9638 is not on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list at the time of the last update. Check again, as this can change.

What does CVE-2024-9638 affect?

CVE-2024-9638 affects category posts widget. Severity is medium (CVSS 4.8). The Category Posts Widget WordPress plugin before 4.9.18 does not sanitise and escape some of its settings, which could allow high privilege users such as admin to perform Stored Cross-Site Scripting attacks even when the unfiltered_html ca

How urgent is CVE-2024-9638?

Priority 30/100. Public exploit reference

Software pages

WordPress vulnerabilities

Related CVEs

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References

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