Reported vulnerability

AI Engine <= 3.8.0 - Unauthenticated Stored Cross-Site Scripting via 'model_' Parameter → PHP Error-Log Injection → Advisor Indirect Prompt Injection

Published 30 Sept 2026

Updated 1 Oct 2026

CVE-2026-96561

Compare your installed software with the affected versions below. Follow the source’s remediation guidance and test an available update after taking a backup. A database entry describes a reported issue; it does not establish whether a particular website has been compromised.

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Wordfence advisory

high · CVSS 7.2

The AI Engine – The Chatbot, AI Framework & MCP for WordPress plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting in versions up to, and including, 3.8.0 This is due to a chain of missing input neutralization and output escaping across the /mwai-ui/v1/chats/submit REST endpoint, the PHP error-log parser (MeowKit_MWAI_Helpers::php_error_logs), the Advisor task (Meow_MWAI_Modules_Advisor::run_advisor), and the Advisor dashboard widget (advisor_metabox): the server-parameter denylist in chat_submit strips only exact key names such as 'model' while convert_keys() later canonicalizes 'model_' back to 'model', allowing an unauthenticated caller to place an attacker-controlled string (including CR/LF) into $query->model; final_checks() throws an Exception whose message embeds that raw string, and the non-streaming, non-admin catch branch writes it to the PHP error log unmodified — creating a forged log line that the plugin's own parser subsequently returns as recent PHP-error content; run_advisor() then appends that content verbatim to the AI prompt (indirect prompt injection — CWE-1427), the returned JSON is stored in the mwai_advisor_data option with no schema validation or HTML sanitization, and advisor_metabox() concatenates the resulting 'title' and 'description' values directly into the WordPress dashboard widget without esc_html(), wp_kses(), or equivalent escaping. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to inject arbitrary web scripts in pages that will execute whenever an administrator accesses the WordPress dashboard.

Severity vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N

AI Engine – The Chatbot, AI Framework & MCP for WordPress

Software: plugin · ai-engine
Affected versions: Start version unspecified, through 3.8.0
Fix availability: Fix available
Fixed versions: 3.8.1

Recommended action

Update to version 3.8.1, or a newer patched version

Further references (1)

wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/910e51da-6ee2-45d5-837b-7fea80f79390?source=api-prod

Data sources and licences

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CVE Usage: MITRE hereby grants you a perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive, no-charge, royalty-free, irrevocable copyright license to reproduce, prepare derivative works of, publicly display, publicly perform, sublicense, and distribute Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE®). Any copy you make for such purposes is authorized provided that you reproduce MITRE's copyright designation and this license in any such copy.

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Source: Wordfence

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Questions about this vulnerability

Which versions of AI Engine – The Chatbot, AI Framework & MCP for WordPress are affected?

Wordfence lists these affected versions: Start version unspecified, through 3.8.0. Use the version checker above to compare your installed release with this report.

Is a fix available for AI Engine – The Chatbot, AI Framework & MCP for WordPress?

Wordfence reports a fix for this issue in AI Engine – The Chatbot, AI Framework & MCP for WordPress. It lists these fixed versions: 3.8.1. Back up your website and test the recommended update before applying it to your live site.

Where can I find my installed plugin version?

In WordPress, open Plugins > Installed Plugins and find the version shown beneath the plugin name.

Does an affected version mean my website has been hacked?

An affected version means the installed release matches a vulnerability described in this report. It does not show whether anyone has exploited it on your website. The checker compares version numbers with stored reports; it does not inspect your website.

These reports cover at least one of the same plugins, themes or WordPress core. Check each report’s affected versions separately.

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