CVE-2024-0233 in EventON Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 01/16/2024
The EventON WordPress plugin before 4.5.5, EventON WordPress plugin before 2.2.7 do not properly sanitise and escape a parameter before outputting it back in pages, leading to a Reflected Cross-Site Scripting which could be used against high privilege users such as admin
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/06/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-0233 affects the EventON WordPress plugin, specifically versions prior to 4.5.5 and 2.2.7 respectively, representing a critical reflected cross-site scripting flaw that poses significant security risks to WordPress installations. This vulnerability stems from inadequate input sanitization and output escaping mechanisms within the plugin's codebase, creating an exploitable condition where malicious actors can inject arbitrary script code into web pages viewed by users.
The technical flaw manifests when the plugin fails to properly sanitize user-supplied parameters before incorporating them into HTML output contexts. This improper handling creates a reflected XSS vector where an attacker can craft malicious URLs containing script payloads that get executed in the victim's browser when the page is rendered. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it targets high-privilege users such as administrators, making it a prime candidate for privilege escalation attacks. When administrators interact with maliciously crafted URLs, the reflected scripts execute in their privileged context, potentially allowing attackers to perform administrative actions, steal session cookies, or redirect users to malicious sites.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution as it can enable sophisticated attack chains targeting WordPress admin interfaces. Attackers can leverage this flaw to harvest administrator session tokens, modify plugin configurations, or even install malicious backdoors through the compromised administrative sessions. The reflected nature of the vulnerability means that the attack payload is delivered via URL parameters, making it relatively easy to distribute through phishing campaigns or malicious links. Security researchers have classified this as a high-severity issue due to the potential for privilege escalation and the wide attack surface provided by WordPress plugin ecosystems.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2024-0233 primarily involve immediate patching of the EventON plugin to versions 4.5.5 or 2.2.7, which contain the necessary sanitization fixes. Organizations should also implement input validation at multiple layers including web application firewalls, server-side validation, and output encoding to provide defense-in-depth. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for script execution and T1548.001 for privilege escalation. Network administrators should monitor for suspicious traffic patterns and implement proper access controls to limit the impact if exploitation occurs. Regular security audits of WordPress plugins and themes remain essential for maintaining secure web environments, as this vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation and output escaping in web applications.