CVE-2024-10148 in Awesome Buttons Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 10/25/2024
The Awesome buttons plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via the plugin's btn2 shortcode in all versions up to, and including, 1.0 due to insufficient input sanitization and output escaping on user supplied attributes. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with contributor-level access and above, 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 • 03/03/2025
The CVE-2024-10148 vulnerability affects the Awesome buttons plugin for WordPress, specifically targeting versions up to and including 1.0. This represents a critical security flaw that enables stored cross-site scripting attacks through the plugin's btn2 shortcode functionality. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input sanitization and output escaping mechanisms that fail to properly validate user-supplied attributes before processing them within the plugin's shortcode implementation. Attackers exploiting this weakness can inject malicious scripts that persist in the database and execute whenever affected pages are accessed by unsuspecting users.
The technical flaw manifests in the plugin's handling of user input through the btn2 shortcode, where attributes such as button text, link URLs, or other configurable parameters are not adequately sanitized before being stored in the WordPress database. This allows attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code directly into the shortcode attributes, which then gets rendered as part of the button output on web pages. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it requires only contributor-level access or higher, meaning users with relatively low privileges can exploit this weakness to compromise the entire WordPress installation. This access level typically includes authors, editors, and administrators who can publish content and modify existing posts and pages.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates a significant threat vector for attackers seeking to compromise WordPress sites using the Awesome buttons plugin. The stored nature of the XSS vulnerability means that malicious scripts persist in the database and execute automatically whenever users access pages containing the compromised shortcode. This can lead to session hijacking, credential theft, defacement of website content, or redirection to malicious sites. The attack surface expands beyond individual compromised pages since the injected scripts can potentially interact with other site functionality and user sessions. Additionally, the vulnerability may enable attackers to escalate privileges further within the WordPress environment, especially if the compromised user has elevated permissions.
Security mitigations for CVE-2024-10148 should begin with immediate plugin updates to versions that address the input sanitization and output escaping deficiencies. System administrators should implement strict input validation on all user-supplied data within the plugin's shortcode functionality, ensuring that all attributes undergo proper sanitization before storage. Output escaping should be enforced for all dynamic content rendered through the btn2 shortcode, preventing malicious scripts from executing in the browser context. Network monitoring should be enhanced to detect suspicious shortcode usage patterns, and regular security audits should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other plugins. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and represents a clear violation of the principle of least privilege as outlined in various security frameworks. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and content security policies to provide additional layers of protection against such attacks.
The exploitation of this vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation and output escaping in web applications, particularly in content management systems where user-generated content is prevalent. This flaw exemplifies how seemingly minor implementation oversights in plugin development can create significant security risks for entire websites. The vulnerability serves as a reminder that all user input must be treated as potentially malicious and that robust sanitization and escaping mechanisms should be implemented at multiple layers of application processing. Furthermore, this issue highlights the necessity for comprehensive security testing of WordPress plugins, particularly those that handle user-generated content through shortcodes or similar mechanisms, as these components often serve as attack vectors for sophisticated exploitation techniques.