CVE-2026-94061

Executive Summary

CVE-2026-94061 is a reflected cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Designthemes "Whistle - Sports Club" WordPress theme, affecting versions from n/a through 4.2. The flaw stems from improper neutralization of user-supplied input during web page generation (CWE-79), allowing an unauthenticated remote attacker to inject script that executes in a victim's browser when a crafted request is processed by the affected site. With a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.1, successful exploitation requires user interaction but can result in session theft, credential phishing, or arbitrary actions performed in the context of the victim's authenticated session.

Technical Analysis

The vulnerability is classified under CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting'). The affected component is the WordPress theme "whistle-sports-club" maintained by Designthemes, and the issue is stated to affect all versions up to and including 4.2.

Reflected XSS occurs when an application incorporates user-controllable input into an HTTP response without adequate output encoding, sanitization, or contextual escaping, such that the input is interpreted by the browser as executable markup or script rather than inert data. In a WordPress theme context, this typically arises when a request parameter is echoed into generated HTML — for example within a template, a search result view, or a query-string-dependent page element — without the input being passed through WordPress escaping functions such as esc_html(), esc_attr(), or esc_url(), or without adequate sanitization such as sanitize_text_field().

The CVSS vector CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:L indicates:

• AV:N (Network) — the attack is deliverable remotely over the network; no local access is required.
• AC:L (Low) — no specialized conditions or race windows are needed.
• PR:N (None) — the attacker does not need to be authenticated to the target application.
• UI:R (Required) — a victim must be induced to interact with the crafted request (typically by visiting a malicious link).
• S:C (Changed) — exploitation can affect resources beyond the vulnerable component's security scope, consistent with XSS executing in the browser security context of the affected site and potentially reaching the surrounding domain/origin.
• C:L / I:L / A:L (Low) — limited confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact, typical of client-side script execution affecting a browser session rather than server-side data.

The NVD description does not identify the specific request parameter, template file, or function responsible for reflecting the input. Per accuracy constraints, no specific parameter name, file path, or function name is asserted here. The vulnerability class is a reflected XSS in a publicly distributed commercial WordPress theme. Because the theme is unpatched as of this report, no code-level diff is available to identify the exact sink.

The attack surface is any web-facing WordPress installation running the affected theme, reachable over HTTP(S). The absence of an EPSS score and the absence of any public PoC, Nuclei template, or exploit code in the tracked sources indicate no known weaponization at the time of writing; exploitation requires the attacker to construct the payload manually and to deliver a crafted link to a victim.

Exploitation Scenarios

No public PoC is available; the attack chain below is inferred from the vulnerability class (reflected XSS) and the data provided. Specific parameter names, endpoints, or code paths are not fabricated.

1. Reconnaissance / target identification. The attacker identifies targets running the WordPress theme "whistle-sports-club" at a version at or below 4.2. This can be performed passively through search-engine indexing of theme asset paths (e.g., presence of the theme's stylesheet or script paths in page source) or via internet-wide scanning using the Shodan dorks given above, which key on the theme's HTML and asset markers. Because the vulnerability is remote and requires no authentication (PR:N), any reachable instance with the vulnerable theme is a candidate.

2. Triggering the flaw class. A reflected XSS is triggered by supplying crafted input to a request that the theme reflects back into its generated HTML without proper neutralization. The attacker crafts a URL in which user-controllable input — typically in a query parameter, path segment, or request field handled by a theme template — contains JavaScript-bearing markup. When a browser requests that URL, the server returns a page in which the injected input is emitted unescaped, so the browser parses it as markup/script. The exact parameter or endpoint is not specified in the available data and is not asserted here.

3. Payload / execution method. At the vulnerability-class level, the payload is delivered as a URL (or an equivalent request) that the attacker induces the victim to open — for example via a phishing email, chat message, social-engineering link, or a third-party page embedding the link. Because UI:R is required, execution occurs only once the victim loads the crafted request in a browser. The injected script then runs within the origin of the affected site.

4. Post-exploitation impact. Script executing in the site's origin can read page content and cookies not protected by HttpOnly, perform actions as the victim (including authenticated WordPress actions if an administrator session is targeted — the "Changed" scope reflects this crossing of security boundaries), exfiltrate data to an attacker-controlled host, and redirect or overlay content for credential phishing. Because confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts are all rated Low, the confirmed impact is typically limited to the victim's active browser session and the data accessible to that origin, rather than direct server compromise.

No evidence of active exploitation, exploit code, or a Nuclei template was found in the provided data; this section describes realistic attack mechanics for the reflected XSS class rather than confirmed in-the-wild activity.

Impact Assessment

The affected product is a commercial WordPress theme used to build sports-club websites; every installation running a version up to and including 4.2 is in scope. The vulnerability is remotely reachable, requires no attacker authentication, and has low attack complexity, but requires victim interaction and therefore functions primarily as a client-side attack against site visitors and administrators.

Impact is bounded by the CVSS 3.1 subscores:

• Confidentiality (Low): exposure of data visible to the victim's session, such as non-HttpOnly cookies, session tokens, page content, and potentially CSRF tokens.
• Integrity (Low): attacker-controlled script can modify page content and, depending on the victim's privileges, submit state-changing requests on their behalf.
• Availability (Low): limited disruption, e.g., page defacement overlays or denial of interaction within the affected document.
• Scope (Changed): exploitation in the affected site's browser origin can affect resources beyond the vulnerable component, including the broader WordPress session context.

Blast radius: individual visitors are exposed one victim at a time (reflected XSS is not self-propagating), but a high-traffic sports-club site could be leveraged to harvest administrator sessions, which would escalate business impact beyond the nominal Low subscores. Because no CISA KEV listing exists and no public exploit is documented, there is no current evidence of mass exploitation; the practical risk to any given organization depends on whether the affected theme is deployed and whether privileged users can be induced to click crafted links.

Detection Guidance

Sigma Rule

title: Reflected XSS Attempt Against Whistle Sports Club WordPress Theme
id: a7f3c1e2-9b4d-4e6a-8f2c-1d5e7a9b3c40
status: experimental
description: Detects XSS payload patterns in HTTP request URIs targeting sites running the vulnerable Whistle - Sports Club WordPress theme (CVE-2026-94061), including script tags, event handlers, and encoded variants.
references:
  - https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-94061
author: valtersit.com
date: 2026-01-01
logsource:
  category: webserver
  product: apache
detection:
  selection_uri:
    cs-uri-query|contains:
      - '<script'
      - '%3Cscript'
      - 'onerror='
      - 'onload='
      - 'javascript:'
      - 'document.cookie'
      - 'alert('
      - '<svg'
      - '%3Csvg'
  filter_benign:
    cs-uri-query|contains:
      - 'security-scanner'
      - 'scanner-test'
  condition: selection_uri and not filter_benign
falsepositives:
  - Security scanners and penetration testing tools
  - Legitimate applications sending '<' or encoded markup in query strings
level: medium
tags:
  - attack.t1059.007
  - cve.2026.94061

YARA Rule

rule CVE_2026_94061_Whistle_Sports_Club_XSS
{
    meta:
        description = "Detects reflected XSS payloads targeting the Whistle - Sports Club WordPress theme (CVE-2026-94061)"
        author = "valtersit.com"
        date = "2026-01-01"
        reference = "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-94061"
        severity = "medium"

    strings:
        $theme   = "whistle-sports-club" nocase
        $wp      = "wp-content/themes" nocase
        $xss1    = "<script>alert(" nocase
        $xss2    = "onerror=" nocase
        $xss3    = "javascript:" nocase
        $xss4    = "document.cookie" nocase
        $xss5    = "<svg/onload=" nocase
        $xss6    = "onmouseover=" nocase

    condition:
        $theme and $wp and any of ($xss*)
}

Suricata IDS Rule

alert http any any -> any any (msg:"CVE-2026-94061 Reflected XSS Attempt - Whistle Sports Club WordPress Theme"; flow:established,to_server; http.uri; content:"whistle-sports-club"; nocase; http.uri; content:"<script"; nocase; http.uri; content:"%3Cscript"; nocase; http.uri; content:"onerror="; nocase; distance:0; http.uri; content:"javascript:"; nocase; distance:0; http.uri; content:"document.cookie"; nocase; distance:0; classtype:web-application-attack; reference:cve,2026-94061; reference:url,nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-94061; sid:202694061; rev:1; metadata:created_at 2026_01_01, updated_at 2026_01_01;)

Elastic Detection

sequence by source.ip with maxspan=5s
  [any where event.category == "web" and
     url.query : ("*<script*", "*%3Cscript*", "*onerror=*", "*onload=*", "*javascript:*", "*document.cookie*")]
  [any where event.category == "web" and
     http.response.status_code == 200 and
     url.path : ("*whistle-sports-club*", "*wp-content/themes*")]

Splunk SPL Query

index=web sourcetype=access_combined
| eval uri_combined = urldecode(uri_query)
| where (uri_combined LIKE "%<script%" OR uri_combined LIKE "%onerror=%" OR uri_combined LIKE "%onload=%" OR uri_combined LIKE "%javascript:%" OR uri_combined LIKE "%document.cookie%" OR uri_combined LIKE "%<svg%")
| stats count min(_time) as first_seen max(_time) as last_seen values(status) as status_codes by src_ip, uri_path, uri_query
| where count > 0
| sort - count

Wazuh OSSEC Rule

<group name="web,appsec,cve-2026-94061,">
  <rule id="202694" level="10">
    <decoded_as>web-accesslog</decoded_as>
    <url>\.(<script|onerror=|onload=|javascript:|document\.cookie|<svg)</url>
    <description>CVE-2026-94061: Possible reflected XSS attempt against Whistle - Sports Club WordPress theme</description>
    <mitre>
      <id>T1059.007</id>
    </mitre>
    <group>web_attack,xss,</group>
  </rule>

  <rule id="202695" level="8">
    <decoded_as>web-accesslog</decoded_as>
    <url>whistle-sports-club</url>
    <description>CVE-2026-94061: Request targeting vulnerable Whistle - Sports Club theme path</description>
    <group>recon,web_attack,</group>
  </rule>
</group>

Mitigation & Patch Guidance

Patch confidence: 0/4 (UNPATCHED — no patch evidence from any tracked source).

1. Immediate mitigations. Because no vendor patch is currently available, prioritize compensating controls. Deploy a web application firewall (WAF) in front of affected WordPress sites with virtual-patching rules that block XSS payload patterns in request parameters, including encoded variants (%3C, \u003c, etc.). Enforce output encoding via a Content Security Policy (CSP) that disallows inline script execution — a strict script-src policy with nonces or hashes markedly reduces the exploitability of reflected XSS even when injection is possible. Set HttpOnly and Secure attributes on all session and authentication cookies to limit the value of session theft, and continue enforcing SameSite cookie attributes. Educate administrators to avoid following unsolicited links while authenticated to the WordPress dashboard, which is the primary route to high-severity outcomes. If the vulnerable theme is obsolete relative to current business needs, consider replacing it with a maintained theme.

2. Patch / upgrade steps. No official patch or fixed version was identified by any tracked source, and the affected range is stated as "n/a through 4.2." Contact the vendor (Designthemes) to request a security fix and confirm whether a newer release addresses this issue. Monitor the vendor's theme changelog and the WPScan/WordPress vulnerability database for a fixed version. Until a fixed release is published, do not assume that upgrading within the stated range resolves the issue; validate any new release against the CVE before closing the risk. As an interim step, sites may be taken off public exposure or placed behind authentication if business conditions permit.

3. Long-term hardening. Maintain a formal software inventory for all WordPress themes and plugins and subscribe to vulnerability feeds (WPScan, NVD, Patchstack) to shorten detection-to-remediation time. Adopt a policy of removing unused and unmaintained themes. Adopt a Content Security Policy as a standing control, not a one-off fix. Enforce least-privilege for dashboard accounts and require re-authentication for sensitive administrative actions. Include XSS payload fuzzing in routine pre-deployment testing and periodic penetration testing, and log and alert on reflected-markup patterns in request parameters to catch exploitation attempts early.

References

• NVD — CVE-2026-94061: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-94061
• CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting'): https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/79.html
• FIRST CVSS v3.1 Specification: https://www.first.org/cvss/v3.1/specification-document
• MITRE ATT&CK T1059.007 — JavaScript/JScript: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1059/007/
• WPScan WordPress Vulnerability Database (theme advisories): https://wpscan.com/

No known threat actor campaign, exploit-in-the-wild evidence, or CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities listing was identified for CVE-2026-94061 in the provided data. The CVE is not present in CISA KEV, and no public PoC or exploit code was found at the time of writing; EPSS has not yet scored this CVE.