Plugins · allow-html-in-category-descriptions · data as of 2026-11-04
Is Allow HTML in Category Descriptions safe? Known vulnerabilities and latest version
- Latest version
- 1.2.5
- Last updated
- 2026-03-05
- Active installs
- 8,000+
- Known issues on record
- 1
- Unpatched in latest
- 0
- Tested up to WP
- 6.9.11 · PHP 7.0+
This plugin allows you to use unfiltered HTML in your category descriptions by disabling selected WordPress filters. — by Arno Esterhuizen
What to do
- Update to the latest version (1.2.5). Anything older than 1.2.5 has at least one known issue listed below. Dashboard → Updates, or Plugins → “update now”.
- If you cannot update right away, deactivate it until you can.
- Turn on auto-updates for it: Plugins → “Enable auto-updates” on its row.
- If you ran a vulnerable version and something looks off (spam pages, strange admins, redirects), run the free scan.
With WP-CLI: wp plugin get allow-html-in-category-descriptions --field=version shows what you run; wp plugin update allow-html-in-category-descriptions updates it.
Check your version
Known vulnerabilities
1 on record, newest first. “Affected” is the version range the source gives; “fixed in” is the version the source names, or (marked *) the first wordpress.org release after the last affected version.
medium 4.4 CVE-2026-0693 · published 2026-02-14
Stored cross-site scripting (XSS) in Allow HTML in Category Descriptions (1.2.4 and older)
- Affected
- 1.2.4 and older
- Fixed in
- 1.2.5 *
- Access needed (per CVSS)
- Needs an admin-level account
- Range from
- CVE record (the advisory publisher) · score by Wordfence
Details from the advisory
The Allow HTML in Category Descriptions plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via category descriptions in all versions up to, and including, 1.2.4. This is due to the plugin unconditionally removing the `wp_kses_data` output filter for term_description, link_description, link_notes, and user_description fields without checking user capabilities. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with administrator-level access and above, to inject arbitrary web scripts in category descriptions that will execute whenever a user accesses a page where the category description is displayed. This only affects multi-site installations and installations where unfiltered_html has been disabled.
Recent activity
- 2026-03-05 — latest release on wordpress.org (1.2.5).
- 2026-02-14 — Stored cross-site scripting (XSS) disclosed (CVE-2026-0693), fixed in 1.2.5.
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Browse vulnerabilities
Types found in this plugin: Cross-site scripting (XSS) (1)
Where this data comes from
- Version, last update, installs: wordpress.org/plugins/allow-html-in-category-descriptions (Plugins API), fetched 2026-11-04.
- Vulnerabilities: NIST National Vulnerability Database (NVD), checked 2026-11-04. This product uses data from the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD.
- Each record links to its CVE page and to the original advisory (Wordfence, Patchstack or WPScan) where there is one. We only list a CVE here when its references or its advisory name this exact plugin, so a few real issues may be missing; none should be about a different plugin. Spot an error? Email Daniel.
Badge for your site or docs (states facts with a date, not a verdict):
<a href="https://laskyr.com/plugins/allow-html-in-category-descriptions"><img src="https://laskyr.com/plugins/allow-html-in-category-descriptions/badge.svg" alt="Allow HTML in Category Descriptions vulnerability status"></a>