CVE-2024-0974 in Social Media Widget Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 07/12/2024
The Social Media Widget WordPress plugin before 4.0.9 does not sanitise and escape some of its settings, which could allow high privilege users such as admin to perform Stored Cross-Site Scripting attacks even when the unfiltered_html capability is disallowed (for example in multisite setup)
Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/19/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-0974 affects the Social Media Widget WordPress plugin version 4.0.8 and earlier, representing a critical security flaw that undermines the platform's content sanitization mechanisms. This issue specifically targets the plugin's handling of user settings where input validation and output escaping procedures are inadequately implemented, creating a pathway for persistent malicious code injection within WordPress environments.
The technical flaw stems from the plugin's failure to properly sanitize and escape user-controllable parameters within its administrative interfaces. When high-privilege users such as administrators interact with the plugin's settings, they can inject malicious JavaScript code that gets stored within the WordPress database. This stored payload persists across page requests and executes whenever the affected settings are rendered, creating a classic stored cross-site scripting vulnerability that operates outside the normal security boundaries of WordPress's capability management system.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond typical XSS scenarios due to the plugin's ability to bypass WordPress's unfiltered_html capability restrictions, particularly in multisite configurations where such protections are typically enforced. Attackers with administrator-level access can leverage this flaw to execute arbitrary scripts in the context of any user who views the affected plugin settings, potentially leading to complete compromise of the WordPress installation and associated user data. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in multisite environments where administrators may have limited permissions but can still manipulate plugin configurations across multiple sites within the network.
This vulnerability maps directly to CWE-79 which describes Cross-Site Scripting flaws in software applications, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 which covers Spearphishing Attachments and T1566.002 which involves Spearphishing Links, as attackers could use the stored XSS to deliver malicious payloads or redirect users to compromised sites. The attack surface is significantly expanded in multisite configurations where the vulnerability can be exploited to compromise multiple sites within a single network. Organizations should immediately update to plugin version 4.0.9 or later, implement additional input validation measures, and conduct comprehensive security audits of all installed plugins to identify similar sanitization issues. Regular security monitoring and user access reviews are essential to prevent unauthorized privilege escalation and to maintain the integrity of WordPress administrative interfaces.
The security implications of this vulnerability underscore the critical importance of proper input sanitization and output escaping in web applications, particularly within content management systems where administrative interfaces handle user-controllable data. The flaw demonstrates how seemingly minor implementation oversights in plugin development can create significant security risks that persist across multiple sites and user sessions, making timely patch management and security awareness crucial components of WordPress security posture.