CVE-2009-4168
CWE-79Published: December 2, 2009· Updated: Jun 16, 2026
Official Description
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Roy Tanck tagcloud.swf, as used in the WP-Cumulus plugin before 1.23 for WordPress and the Joomulus module 2.0 and earlier for Joomla!, allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the tagcloud parameter in a tags action. Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in tagcloud.swf in the WP-Cumulus Plug-in before 1.23 for WordPress allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the tagcloud parameter.
Technical Analysis
CVE-2009-4168 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.
Exploitation requires some privileges, which limits the exposure to scenarios where an attacker has already gained initial access.
A proof-of-concept (PoC) exploit exists for CVE-2009-4168. While not yet confirmed in active campaigns, the availability of PoC code increases exploitation risk substantially.
From a weakness classification perspective (CWE-79): Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities allow attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users.
CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown
Affected Vendors & Products
Exploit & PoC Resources
Official Patches & Advisories
All References (32)
Quick Facts
Related CVEs (CWE-79)
Recommended Actions
- →Apply vendor patches immediately
- →Monitor CVE-2009-4168 in threat intel feeds
- →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts