---
id: "CVE-2026-116522"
kind: "vulnerability"
aliases: ["CVE-2026-116522"]
title: "Relevanssi WordPress plugin: stored script injection via comment field"
severity: "high"
cvss: 7.2
epss: null
exploited: false
status: "open"
category: "package"
products: []
ecosystems: []
tags: ["package", "relevanssi", "self-hosted", "wordpress"]
not_affected_if: ["comment-highlighting-off", "comment-indexing-off", "default-config"]
published_at: "2026-10-31T07:16:35+00:00"
first_seen_at: "2026-10-31T07:34:07+00:00"
updated_at: "2026-10-31T07:34:33+00:00"
sources: [{"source": "nvd", "url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-116522", "first_seen_at": "2026-10-31T07:34:07+00:00"}]
---

# Relevanssi WordPress plugin: stored script injection via comment field

The Relevanssi search plugin for WordPress does not sanitize the 'comment' parameter, so an unauthenticated attacker can store scripts that run in the browser of anyone who opens an affected page. The payload only fires on singular pages reached through a Relevanssi search-result link carrying the highlight parameter, and only when comment indexing and comment highlighting are both enabled.

_Summary, check and fix written by a model from the sources; labelled as such._

## How to check

- Check the installed Relevanssi plugin version against `4.28.5` in the WordPress admin plugin list or `wp plugin list`.
- In Relevanssi settings, check whether both comment indexing and comment highlighting are enabled.

## Fix

- Relevanssi versions up to and including `4.28.5` are affected; the sources do not name a fixed version.

## Timeline

- 2026-10-31T07:34:07+00:00 nvd https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-116522

## From the sources

The Relevanssi – A Better Search plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via the 'comment' parameter in all versions up to, and including, 4.28.5 due to insufficient input sanitization and output escaping. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to inject arbitrary web scripts in pages that will execute whenever a user accesses an injected page. This requires the site to have both the comment indexing and comment highlighting options enabled, and the payload only fires when a visitor reaches a singular page via a Relevanssi search-result permalink carrying the highlight query parameter.

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