CVE-2014-5240
CWE-79Published: August 18, 2014· Updated: Jun 17, 2026
Official Description
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in wp-includes/pluggable.php in WordPress before 3.9.2, when Multisite is enabled, allows remote authenticated administrators to inject arbitrary web script or HTML, and obtain Super Admin privileges, via a crafted avatar URL.
Technical Analysis
CVE-2014-5240 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.
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 (8)
Quick Facts
Related CVEs (CWE-79)
Recommended Actions
- →Apply vendor patches immediately
- →Monitor CVE-2014-5240 in threat intel feeds
- →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts