CVE-2019-9978
KEVWordPress Social Warfare Plugin Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) Vulnerability
Description
WordPress Social Warfare plugin contains a cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability that allows for remote code execution. This vulnerability affects Social Warfare and Social Warfare Pro.
The social-warfare plugin before 3.5.3 for WordPress has stored XSS via the wp-admin/admin-post.php?swp_debug=load_options swp_url parameter, as exploited in the wild in March 2019. This affects Social Warfare and Social Warfare Pro.
CVSS 3.1 vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:NPublishedMar 24, 2019
Last modifiedJun 17, 2026
Added to KEVNov 3, 2021
Remediation dueMay 3, 2022
References
- packetstormsecurity.com/files/152722/Wordpress-Social-Warfare-Remote-Code-Execution.htmlExploitThird Party Advisory
- packetstormsecurity.com/files/163680/WordPress-Social-Warfare-3.5.2-Remote-Code-Execution.htmlExploitThird Party Advisory
- blog.sucuri.net/2019/03/zero-day-stored-xss-in-social-warfare.htmlExploitThird Party Advisory
- twitter.com/warfareplugins/status/1108852747099652099Third Party Advisory
- wordpress.org/plugins/social-warfare/Product
- wpvulndb.com/vulnerabilities/9238Broken LinkThird Party Advisory
- cybersecurity-help.cz/vdb/SB2019032105ExploitThird Party Advisory
- exploit-db.com/exploits/46794/Third Party AdvisoryVDB Entry
- pluginvulnerabilities.com/2019/03/21/full-disclosure-of-settings-change-persistent-cross-site-scripting-xss-vulnerability-in-social-warfare/ExploitThird Party Advisory
- wordfence.com/blog/2019/03/unpatched-zero-day-vulnerability-in-social-warfare-plugin-exploited-in-the-wild/Third Party Advisory
- seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2025/Jun/1Mailing List
- cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2019-9978US Government Resource
0 recent articles mention this CVE
68
Risk assessment · High
Actively exploited. Patch immediately.
- Exploitation
- Confirmed in the wild (CISA KEV)
- Federal remediation deadline
- Overdue by 1638 days
- CVSS
- 6.1 MEDIUM
- EPSS (30-day exploit probability)
- 72.9% · top 1% of all CVEs
- Weakness
- CWE-79
- Attack vector
- Network, remotely reachable
Recommended actions
- 1.Apply updates per vendor instructions.
- 2.Treat as emergency change: patch or isolate internet-facing instances first.
- 3.Review exposure: confirm which instances are reachable from the internet and restrict access until patched.
- 4.Hunt for compromise: review logs for the disclosure window, not just from the patch date.
Assessment is derived automatically from the live signals above; verify against your own asset inventory.