CVE-2020-4046
Authenticated XSS through embed block in WordPress
In affected versions of WordPress, users with low privileges (like contributors and authors) can use the embed block in a certain way to inject unfiltered HTML in the block editor. When affected posts are viewed by a higher privileged user, this could lead to script execution in the editor/wp-admin. This has been patched in version 5.4.2, along with all the previously affected versions via a minor release (5.3.4, 5.2.7, 5.1.6, 5.0.10, 4.9.15, 4.8.14, 4.7.18, 4.6.19, 4.5.22, 4.4.23, 4.3.24, 4.2.28, 4.1.31, 4.0.31, 3.9.32, 3.8.34, 3.7.34).
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- Low
- User interaction
- Required
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- Low
- Integrity
- Low
- Availability
- None
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
5.4
Authenticated XSS through embed block in WordPress
In affected versions of WordPress, users with low privileges (like contributors and authors) can use the embed block in a certain way to inject unfiltered HTML in the block editor. When affected posts are viewed by a higher privileged user, this could lead to script execution in the editor/wp-admin. This has been patched in version 5.4.2, along with all the previously affected versions via a minor release (5.3.4, 5.2.7, 5.1.6, 5.0.10, 4.9.15, 4.8.14, 4.7.18, 4.6.19, 4.5.22, 4.4.23, 4.3.24, 4.2.28, 4.1.31, 4.0.31, 3.9.32, 3.8.34, 3.7.34).
- Record
CVE-2020-4046- CVSS 3.1
- 5.4 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-80
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2020-25304
5.4
In affected versions of WordPress, users with low privileges (like contributors and authors) can use the embed block in a certain way to inject unfiltered HTML in the block editor. When affected posts are viewed by a higher privileged user, this could lead to script execution in the editor/wp-admin. This has been patched in version 5.4.2, along with all the previously affected versions via a minor release (5.3.4, 5.2.7, 5.1.6, 5.0.10, 4.9.15, 4.8.14, 4.7.18, 4.6.19, 4.5.22, 4.4.23, 4.3.24, 4.2.28, 4.1.31, 4.0.31, 3.9.32, 3.8.34, 3.7.34).
- Record
EUVD-2020-25304- CVSS 3.1
- 5.4 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-03
NVD
5.4
In affected versions of WordPress, users with low privileges (like contributors and authors) can use the embed block in a certain way to inject unfiltered HTML in the block editor. When affected posts are viewed by a higher privileged user, this could lead to script execution in the editor/wp-admin. This has been patched in version 5.4.2, along with all the previously affected versions via a minor release (5.3.4, 5.2.7, 5.1.6, 5.0.10, 4.9.15, 4.8.14, 4.7.18, 4.6.19, 4.5.22, 4.4.23, 4.3.24, 4.2.28, 4.1.31, 4.0.31, 3.9.32, 3.8.34, 3.7.34).
- Record
CVE-2020-4046- CVSS 3.1
- 5.4 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N - CVSS 2.0
- 3.5 Low
AV:N/AC:M/Au:S/C:N/I:P/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-80, CWE-79
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSV
5.4
In affected versions of WordPress, users with low privileges (like contributors and authors) can use the embed block in a certain way to inject unfiltered HTML in the block editor. When affected posts are viewed by a higher privileged user, this could lead to script execution in the editor/wp-admin. This has been patched in version 5.4.2, along with all the previously affected versions via a minor release (5.3.4, 5.2.7, 5.1.6, 5.0.10, 4.9.15, 4.8.14, 4.7.18, 4.6.19, 4.5.22, 4.4.23, 4.3.24, 4.2.28, 4.1.31, 4.0.31, 3.9.32, 3.8.34, 3.7.34).
- Record
CVE-2020-4046- CVSS 3.1
- 5.4 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVDEBIAN-CVE-2020-4046
5.4
In affected versions of WordPress, users with low privileges (like contributors and authors) can use the embed block in a certain way to inject unfiltered HTML in the block editor. When affected posts are viewed by a higher privileged user, this could lead to script execution in the editor/wp-admin. This has been patched in version 5.4.2, along with all the previously affected versions via a minor release (5.3.4, 5.2.7, 5.1.6, 5.0.10, 4.9.15, 4.8.14, 4.7.18, 4.6.19, 4.5.22, 4.4.23, 4.3.24, 4.2.28, 4.1.31, 4.0.31, 3.9.32, 3.8.34, 3.7.34).
- Record
DEBIAN-CVE-2020-4046- CVSS 3.1
- 5.4 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVUBUNTU-CVE-2020-4046
5.4
In affected versions of WordPress, users with low privileges (like contributors and authors) can use the embed block in a certain way to inject unfiltered HTML in the block editor. When affected posts are viewed by a higher privileged user, this could lead to script execution in the editor/wp-admin. This has been patched in version 5.4.2, along with all the previously affected versions via a minor release (5.3.4, 5.2.7, 5.1.6, 5.0.10, 4.9.15, 4.8.14, 4.7.18, 4.6.19, 4.5.22, 4.4.23, 4.3.24, 4.2.28, 4.1.31, 4.0.31, 3.9.32, 3.8.34, 3.7.34).
- Record
UBUNTU-CVE-2020-4046- CVSS 3.1
- 5.4 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVBIT-wordpress-2020-4046 No score
Authenticated XSS through embed block in WordPress
In affected versions of WordPress, users with low privileges (like contributors and authors) can use the embed block in a certain way to inject unfiltered HTML in the block editor. When affected posts are viewed by a higher privileged user, this could lead to script execution in the editor/wp-admin. This has been patched in version 5.4.2, along with all the previously affected versions via a minor release (5.3.4, 5.2.7, 5.1.6, 5.0.10, 4.9.15, 4.8.14, 4.7.18, 4.6.19, 4.5.22, 4.4.23, 4.3.24, 4.2.28, 4.1.31, 4.0.31, 3.9.32, 3.8.34, 3.7.34).
- Record
BIT-wordpress-2020-4046- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVBIT-wordpress-multisite-2020-4046 No score
Authenticated XSS through embed block in WordPress
In affected versions of WordPress, users with low privileges (like contributors and authors) can use the embed block in a certain way to inject unfiltered HTML in the block editor. When affected posts are viewed by a higher privileged user, this could lead to script execution in the editor/wp-admin. This has been patched in version 5.4.2, along with all the previously affected versions via a minor release (5.3.4, 5.2.7, 5.1.6, 5.0.10, 4.9.15, 4.8.14, 4.7.18, 4.6.19, 4.5.22, 4.4.23, 4.3.24, 4.2.28, 4.1.31, 4.0.31, 3.9.32, 3.8.34, 3.7.34).
- Record
BIT-wordpress-multisite-2020-4046- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
Affected packages
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
wordpressBitnami |
3.7.0 up to 3.7.34, 3.8.0 up to 3.8.34, 3.9.0 up to 3.9.32, 4.0.0 up to 4.0.31, 4.1.0 up to 4.1.31, 4.2.0 up to 4.2.28, 4.3.0 up to 4.3.24, 4.4.0 up to 4.4.23, 4.5.0 up to 4.5.22, 4.6.0 up to 4.6.19, 4.7.0 up to 4.7.18, 4.8.0 up to 4.8.14, 4.9.0 up to 4.9.15, 5.0.0 up to 5.0.10, 5.1.0 up to 5.1.6, 5.2.0 up to 5.2.7, 5.3.0 up to 5.3.4, 5.4.0 up to 5.4.2 | 3.7.343.8.343.9.324.0.314.1.314.2.284.3.244.4.234.5.224.6.194.7.184.8.144.9.155.0.105.1.65.2.75.3.45.4.2 |
wordpress-multisiteBitnami |
3.7.0 up to 3.7.34, 3.8.0 up to 3.8.34, 3.9.0 up to 3.9.32, 4.0.0 up to 4.0.31, 4.1.0 up to 4.1.31, 4.2.0 up to 4.2.28, 4.3.0 up to 4.3.24, 4.4.0 up to 4.4.23, 4.5.0 up to 4.5.22, 4.6.0 up to 4.6.19, 4.7.0 up to 4.7.18, 4.8.0 up to 4.8.14, 4.9.0 up to 4.9.15, 5.0.0 up to 5.0.10, 5.1.0 up to 5.1.6, 5.2.0 up to 5.2.7, 5.3.0 up to 5.3.4, 5.4.0 up to 5.4.2 | 3.7.343.8.343.9.324.0.314.1.314.2.284.3.244.4.234.5.224.6.194.7.184.8.144.9.155.0.105.1.65.2.75.3.45.4.2 |
wordpressDebian:12 |
before 5.4.2+dfsg1-1 | 5.4.2+dfsg1-1 |
wordpressDebian:13 |
before 5.4.2+dfsg1-1 | 5.4.2+dfsg1-1 |
wordpressDebian:14 |
before 5.4.2+dfsg1-1 | 5.4.2+dfsg1-1 |
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 |
wordpressUbuntu:20.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 5.2.2+dfsg1-15.2.4+dfsg1-15.3.2+dfsg1-15.3.2+dfsg1-1ubuntu1 |
None known |
wordpressUbuntu:22.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 5.7.1+dfsg1-2ubuntu15.8.1+dfsg1-2ubuntu15.8.2+dfsg1-1ubuntu15.8.3+dfsg1-1ubuntu15.8.3+dfsg1-1ubuntu1.1 |
None known |
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| aliases | EUVD | |
| first indexed | CVE List, NVD, OSV |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2020-4046 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 5.4) in Wordpress, published June 12, 2020. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 2.13%, the 82nd percentile. Fixed in wordpress 3.7.34.
References
github.com/WordPress/wordpress-develop/security/advisories/GHSA-rpwf-hrh2-39jf
wordpress.org/news/2020/06/wordpress-5-4-2-security-and-maintenance-release
lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/ODNHXVJS25YVWYQHOCICXTLIN5UYJFDN
lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/773N2ZV7QEMBGKH6FBKI6Q5S3YJMW357
debian.org/security/2020/dsa-4709
lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2020/07/msg00000.html