CVE-2019-20042
WordPress before 5.3.1 allowed an attacker to create a cross-site scripting attack (XSS) in well...
In wp-includes/formatting.php in WordPress 3.7 to 5.3.0, the function wp_targeted_link_rel() can be used in a particular way to result in a stored cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability. This has been patched in WordPress 5.3.1, along with all the previous WordPress versions from 3.7 to 5.3 via a minor release.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- None
- User interaction
- Required
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- Low
- Integrity
- Low
- Availability
- None
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
NVD Score used
In wp-includes/formatting.php in WordPress 3.7 to 5.3.0, the function wp_targeted_link_rel() can be used in a particular way to result in a stored cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability. This has been patched in WordPress 5.3.1, along with all the previous WordPress versions from 3.7 to 5.3 via a minor release.
- Record
CVE-2019-20042- CVSS 3.1
- 6.1 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N - CVSS 2.0
- 4.3 Medium
AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:N/I:P/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-79
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
CVE List No score
In wp-includes/formatting.php in WordPress 3.7 to 5.3.0, the function wp_targeted_link_rel() can be used in a particular way to result in a stored cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability. This has been patched in WordPress 5.3.1, along with all the previous WordPress versions from 3.7 to 5.3 via a minor release.
- Record
CVE-2019-20042- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2019-10598 No score
In wp-includes/formatting.php in WordPress 3.7 to 5.3.0, the function wp_targeted_link_rel() can be used in a particular way to result in a stored cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability. This has been patched in WordPress 5.3.1, along with all the previous WordPress versions from 3.7 to 5.3 via a minor release.
- Record
EUVD-2019-10598- Updated
- 2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-xgvp-37rp-x96c
WordPress before 5.3.1 allowed an attacker to create a cross-site scripting attack (XSS) in well...
WordPress before 5.3.1 allowed an attacker to create a cross-site scripting attack (XSS) in well crafted links, because of an insufficient protection mechanism in wp_targeted_link_rel in wp-includes/formatting.php.
- Record
GHSA-xgvp-37rp-x96c- CVSS 3.1
- 6.1 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-79
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSV
In wp-includes/formatting.php in WordPress 3.7 to 5.3.0, the function wp_targeted_link_rel() can be used in a particular way to result in a stored cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability. This has been patched in WordPress 5.3.1, along with all the previous WordPress versions from 3.7 to 5.3 via a minor release.
- Record
CVE-2019-20042- CVSS 3.1
- 6.1 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVDEBIAN-CVE-2019-20042
In wp-includes/formatting.php in WordPress 3.7 to 5.3.0, the function wp_targeted_link_rel() can be used in a particular way to result in a stored cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability. This has been patched in WordPress 5.3.1, along with all the previous WordPress versions from 3.7 to 5.3 via a minor release.
- Record
DEBIAN-CVE-2019-20042- CVSS 3.1
- 6.1 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVUBUNTU-CVE-2019-20042
In wp-includes/formatting.php in WordPress 3.7 to 5.3.0, the function wp_targeted_link_rel() can be used in a particular way to result in a stored cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability. This has been patched in WordPress 5.3.1, along with all the previous WordPress versions from 3.7 to 5.3 via a minor release.
- Record
UBUNTU-CVE-2019-20042- CVSS 3.1
- 6.1 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
Affected packages
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
wordpressDebian:12 |
before 5.3.2+dfsg1-1 | 5.3.2+dfsg1-1 |
wordpressDebian:13 |
before 5.3.2+dfsg1-1 | 5.3.2+dfsg1-1 |
wordpressDebian:14 |
before 5.3.2+dfsg1-1 | 5.3.2+dfsg1-1 |
wordpressDebian:10 From an advisory covering 18 CVEs |
before 5.0.4+dfsg1-1+deb10u1, plus listed versions 5.0.4+dfsg1-1 |
5.0.4+dfsg1-1+deb10u1 |
wordpressUbuntu:16.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 4.3+dfsg-14.3.1+dfsg-14.4+dfsg-14.4.1+dfsg-14.4.2+dfsg-14.4.2+dfsg-1ubuntu1 |
None known |
wordpressUbuntu:18.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 4.8.2+dfsg-24.8.3+dfsg-14.9.1+dfsg-14.9.2+dfsg-14.9.4+dfsg-14.9.5+dfsg1-1 |
None known |
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| affected, facts | ||
| aliases | EUVD | |
| first indexed | CVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2019-20042 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 6.1) in Wordpress, published December 27, 2019. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 2.76%, the 86th percentile. Fixed in wordpress 5.3.2+dfsg1-1.
References
wpvulndb.com/vulnerabilities/9975
wordpress.org/news/2019/12/wordpress-5-3-1-security-and-maintenance-release
core.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/46894/trunk
github.com/WordPress/wordpress-develop/commit/1f7f3f1f59567e2504f0fbebd51ccf004b3ccb1d
blog.ripstech.com/filter/vulnerabilities
seclists.org/bugtraq/2020/Jan/8
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debian.org/security/2020/dsa-4599
hackerone.com/reports/509930
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-20042
security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2019-20042
ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2019-20042
cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2019-20042