CVE-2024-11452 in Chamber Dashboard Business Directory Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 01/16/2025
The Chamber Dashboard Business Directory plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via the plugin's 'business_categories' shortcode in all versions up to, and including, 3.3.8 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 • 02/10/2025
The Chamber Dashboard Business Directory plugin for WordPress represents a widely used directory solution that enables website administrators to create business listings and directories within their wordpress environments. This plugin facilitates the management of business information through various shortcodes and administrative interfaces, making it a common component across numerous wordpress installations. The vulnerability identified in version 3.3.8 and earlier versions stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms within the plugin's shortcode implementation, specifically affecting the 'business_categories' shortcode functionality.
The technical flaw manifests through insufficient sanitization of user-supplied attributes within the plugin's shortcode processing logic. When administrators or authorized users input data through the plugin's interface, particularly when utilizing the business_categories shortcode, the system fails to properly validate or escape the incoming parameters before rendering them in the output. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, specifically classified as stored XSS since the malicious scripts are permanently stored within the plugin's processing mechanisms rather than being executed through a single request. The vulnerability requires only contributor-level access or higher, making it particularly concerning as it can be exploited by users who already have significant privileges within the wordpress environment.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution as it provides attackers with a persistent vector for malicious activity within the compromised wordpress installation. Authenticated attackers with contributor privileges can inject malicious javascript code that will execute whenever any user accesses pages containing the affected shortcode, potentially leading to session hijacking, data exfiltration, or further privilege escalation within the wordpress environment. The stored nature of the vulnerability means that the malicious code persists across multiple user sessions and page views, creating a continuous threat vector that can be leveraged for extended periods without requiring repeated exploitation attempts. This vulnerability directly aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter, specifically targeting the execution of malicious scripts within the web application context.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should prioritize immediate plugin updates to versions that have addressed the input sanitization issues, as the vendor has likely implemented proper escaping mechanisms for user-supplied attributes. Administrators should also implement additional security measures such as restricting contributor-level access to only essential functionality, implementing web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious script injection attempts, and conducting regular security audits of plugin configurations. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input validation and output escaping practices as outlined in OWASP Top Ten 2021 Category A03: Injection, where inadequate sanitization of user inputs leads to various injection vulnerabilities including cross-site scripting. Organizations should also consider implementing content security policies to limit the execution scope of injected scripts and establish monitoring procedures to detect unauthorized shortcode modifications that could indicate exploitation attempts.