CVE-2024-11757 in WP GeoNames Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 12/12/2024
The WP GeoNames plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via the plugin's 'wp-geonames' shortcode in all versions up to, and including, 1.9.0.1 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 • 02/18/2025
The WP GeoNames plugin for WordPress presents a critical stored cross-site scripting vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-11757 affecting versions up to and including 1.9.0.1. This vulnerability resides within the plugin's 'wp-geonames' shortcode implementation and represents a significant security weakness that can be exploited by authenticated attackers possessing contributor-level privileges or higher. The flaw stems from inadequate input sanitization and output escaping mechanisms that fail to properly validate or encode user-supplied attributes before they are processed and rendered within web pages. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-79 as a failure to sanitize or incorrectly sanitizing user-supplied data, which directly enables malicious script injection attacks.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an authenticated attacker with contributor-level access or above creates or modifies content containing malicious script within the plugin's shortcode attributes. When other users access pages containing these injected scripts, the malicious code executes in their browsers, potentially leading to session hijacking, data theft, or further compromise of the affected WordPress installation. The stored nature of this XSS vulnerability means that the malicious scripts are permanently embedded within the plugin's shortcode parameters and will execute every time affected pages are loaded, making the attack persistent and difficult to detect. This vulnerability specifically impacts the plugin's shortcode functionality where user input is directly incorporated into output without proper sanitization.
The operational impact of CVE-2024-11757 extends beyond simple script execution as it provides attackers with a potential foothold for more sophisticated attacks within the WordPress environment. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to steal administrator credentials, modify content, inject malicious advertisements, or redirect users to phishing sites. The vulnerability affects all users who access pages containing the compromised shortcode, making it particularly dangerous in environments where multiple contributors or authors have access to the plugin. This threat is exacerbated by the fact that contributors typically have significant editing capabilities within WordPress, allowing them to create content that could be exploited to compromise other users. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for credential access through social engineering and T1584.002 for establishing backdoors through web application vulnerabilities.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including updating to the latest version of the WP GeoNames plugin where the vulnerability has been addressed through proper input validation and output escaping. Administrators should also consider implementing additional security measures such as role-based access controls to limit contributor privileges, regular monitoring of content changes, and security scanning of user-generated content. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and output escaping as fundamental security practices, particularly for plugins that handle user-supplied data. Security teams should also conduct thorough audits of all installed plugins to identify similar vulnerabilities and implement security hardening measures that align with industry best practices for WordPress security and the principles outlined in the OWASP Top Ten project.