CVE-2024-0378 in AI Engine Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 03/02/2024
The AI Engine: Chatbots, Generators, Assistants, GPT 4 and more! plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via the AI chat data when discussion tracking is enabled in all versions up to, and including, 2.2.0 due to insufficient input sanitization and output escaping. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to inject arbitrary web scripts in pages that will execute whenever a user accesses an injected page.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/18/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-0378 affects the AI Engine WordPress plugin, specifically targeting versions up to and including 2.2.0. This plugin provides various artificial intelligence functionalities including chatbots, generators, and GPT assistants, making it a popular choice among WordPress users seeking AI-powered content management capabilities. The vulnerability arises from inadequate input sanitization and output escaping mechanisms within the plugin's implementation of discussion tracking features, creating a critical security gap that exposes WordPress sites to persistent cross-site scripting attacks.
The technical flaw manifests when the AI chat data is processed and stored within the WordPress database while discussion tracking is enabled. The plugin fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input from chat interactions before storing this data, and subsequently fails to adequately escape this stored data when rendering it back to users. This combination of insufficient sanitization and escaping creates a persistent stored XSS vulnerability that allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into the plugin's data storage system. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates without requiring authentication, meaning any visitor to the affected WordPress site can potentially exploit this weakness.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it enables attackers to execute arbitrary web scripts in the context of any user who accesses pages containing the injected content. This means that when legitimate users browse pages where the malicious code has been injected through the chat data, their browsers will execute the attacker's malicious JavaScript code. The consequences can range from session hijacking and credential theft to more sophisticated attacks such as redirecting users to malicious sites, defacing the website, or using the compromised user sessions for further attacks within the WordPress environment. The persistent nature of stored XSS means that the malicious code remains active until manually removed from the database, potentially affecting multiple users over extended periods.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate remediation through plugin updates to versions that address the sanitization and escaping issues. Users should also implement additional security measures including regular monitoring of database content for suspicious scripts, implementing content security policies to limit script execution, and conducting thorough security audits of all installed plugins. Organizations should consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block known XSS attack patterns and establish robust input validation processes. From a cybersecurity framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 (Cross-site Scripting) and represents a critical risk in the attack chain as defined by MITRE ATT&CK framework under the T1566 (Phishing) and T1059 (Command and Scripting Interpreter) techniques, demonstrating how seemingly benign plugin functionality can become a critical attack vector in modern web applications.