CVE-2024-11183 in Simple Side Tab Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 12/07/2024
The Simple Side Tab WordPress plugin before 2.2.0 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 • 05/07/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-11183 affects the Simple Side Tab WordPress plugin version 2.1.9 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 insufficient input validation and output escaping occurs, creating a pathway for malicious code injection within the WordPress administration environment.
The technical flaw manifests in the plugin's failure to properly sanitize user-provided data before storing it in the WordPress database and subsequently rendering it in administrative interfaces. This oversight allows attackers with administrative privileges to inject malicious scripts that persist across user sessions and can execute in the context of other administrators or privileged users. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates even when the unfiltered_html capability is restricted, which typically prevents non-administrator users from injecting potentially dangerous code into WordPress content.
The operational impact of this stored cross-site scripting vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to escalate privileges, steal session cookies, modify plugin settings, or even compromise entire WordPress installations. In multisite environments where the unfiltered_html capability is commonly restricted, this vulnerability becomes even more dangerous as it bypasses the expected security controls that should protect against such attacks. The stored nature of the XSS means that malicious code persists until manually removed from the plugin settings, potentially affecting multiple users over extended periods.
Security researchers have classified this vulnerability under CWE-79 as a Cross-Site Scripting weakness, specifically highlighting the failure to properly escape output in a context where user-supplied data is rendered. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a privilege escalation technique through web application vulnerabilities, where an attacker leverages existing administrative access to further compromise the system. The vulnerability's exploitation requires only administrative privileges, making it particularly dangerous in environments where multiple administrators have access to the same system. Organizations should immediately update to Simple Side Tab plugin version 2.2.0 or later, which implements proper sanitization and escaping mechanisms to prevent the injection of malicious scripts into the plugin's settings storage and rendering processes.
The remediation process involves applying the vendor-provided security patch that ensures all user-provided settings are properly escaped before being stored in the database and rendered in administrative interfaces. Additionally, administrators should conduct thorough security audits of their WordPress installations to identify any other plugins that may exhibit similar sanitization flaws, as this represents a common pattern in WordPress plugin development where proper input validation and output escaping are frequently overlooked.