CVE-2024-10554 in WP-Advanced-Search Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 03/25/2025
The WordPress WP-Advanced-Search WordPress plugin before 3.3.9.3 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).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/25/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-10554 affects the WordPress WP-Advanced-Search plugin version 3.3.9.2 and earlier, presenting a significant security risk through stored cross-site scripting flaws. This issue specifically targets high-privilege users such as administrators who possess the capability to modify plugin settings, making it particularly dangerous in multi-site environments where such users might be present. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input sanitization and output escaping mechanisms within the plugin's configuration handling processes. Attackers with administrative access can exploit this weakness to inject malicious scripts into the plugin's settings, which then get executed whenever other users view the affected pages. The vulnerability is especially concerning because it persists even when the WordPress environment has restricted the unfiltered_html capability, which is a standard security measure designed to prevent non-privileged users from injecting raw HTML and JavaScript into posts and pages. This behavior indicates that the plugin fails to properly validate and sanitize user-supplied data before storing it in the database, creating a persistent threat vector that can affect multiple users over time.
The technical flaw manifests in the plugin's improper handling of user input during the settings configuration process, where data is stored without adequate sanitization measures. This allows malicious scripts to be stored in the WordPress database and subsequently executed in the context of other users' browsers when they access pages that utilize the plugin's functionality. The vulnerability specifically impacts the plugin's ability to properly escape output when rendering settings, creating a stored XSS attack surface that can be exploited by users with administrative privileges. This flaw violates fundamental security principles outlined in CWE-79, which addresses cross-site scripting vulnerabilities, and represents a failure to implement proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms. The issue becomes more severe in multi-site WordPress installations where administrative privileges might be granted to various users, expanding the potential attack surface and increasing the likelihood of successful exploitation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, data theft, and privilege escalation within the affected WordPress environment. When administrators with elevated privileges are compromised, attackers can potentially gain deeper access to the entire WordPress installation, including access to user management, content modification, and potentially other plugin configurations. The stored nature of the vulnerability means that once exploited, the malicious scripts will continue to execute for all users who access affected pages until the vulnerability is patched and the malicious code is removed from the database. This persistent threat vector makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where multiple administrators might be present, as any one of them could become compromised and introduce malicious payloads that affect the entire installation. The vulnerability also undermines the security model of WordPress multisite installations where the unfiltered_html capability is intentionally restricted to prevent unauthorized script injection.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2024-10554 should prioritize immediate plugin updates to version 3.3.9.3 or later, which contain the necessary sanitization and escaping fixes. Organizations should also implement additional monitoring for suspicious activities in plugin settings, particularly when administrators make changes to configuration parameters. Security hardening measures should include regular review of plugin configurations and implementation of automated scanning tools to detect potentially malicious script injections. The vulnerability's existence highlights the importance of proper input validation and output encoding practices as recommended in the OWASP Top Ten security standards, specifically addressing the prevention of cross-site scripting attacks through proper data sanitization. Administrators should also consider implementing additional security layers such as web application firewalls and content security policies to provide defense-in-depth against potential exploitation attempts. Regular security audits of WordPress installations, particularly focusing on plugin configurations and user privilege management, are essential to prevent similar vulnerabilities from being exploited in the future, aligning with the principles outlined in the NIST Cybersecurity Framework for maintaining secure software environments.