CVE-2024-11869 in Buk Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 12/14/2024
The Buk for WordPress plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via the plugin's 'buk' shortcode in all versions up to, and including, 1.0.7 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 • 02/17/2025
The CVE-2024-11869 vulnerability affects the Buk WordPress plugin, a widely used tool for managing and displaying content within WordPress environments. This security flaw represents a critical stored cross-site scripting vulnerability that exists in all plugin versions up to and including 1.0.7. The vulnerability specifically targets the plugin's 'buk' shortcode functionality, which allows administrators and content creators to embed dynamic content within WordPress pages. The issue stems from inadequate input sanitization and output escaping mechanisms within the plugin's codebase, creating a persistent security risk that can be exploited by malicious actors with relatively low privileges.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs when the plugin processes user-supplied attributes through the 'buk' shortcode without proper validation or sanitization. This flaw enables attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code directly into the plugin's shortcode parameters, which are then stored within the WordPress database. When other users access pages containing these compromised shortcodes, the injected scripts execute in their browsers, creating a persistent threat vector that can affect multiple users over time. The vulnerability specifically targets authenticated users with contributor-level access or higher, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited by individuals who already have some level of administrative privileges within the WordPress environment.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risks for WordPress sites using the Buk plugin, as it allows attackers to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, data exfiltration, and redirection to malicious websites. The stored nature of the XSS vulnerability means that the injected scripts persist in the database and execute automatically whenever affected pages are loaded, making detection and remediation more challenging. Security researchers have identified this issue as particularly concerning due to the low privilege requirements needed to exploit it, as contributors can leverage this vulnerability to compromise the entire WordPress installation. The impact extends beyond individual user sessions to potentially affect the entire website's integrity and the trustworthiness of the content being served.
Organizations and WordPress administrators should immediately update to the latest version of the Buk plugin to address this vulnerability, as no patches were available for versions prior to the release that fixed the issue. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in software applications, and represents a clear violation of secure coding practices that should be implemented in all web applications. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving command and control communications and credential access, as attackers can use the XSS to establish persistent access to user sessions and potentially escalate privileges within the WordPress environment. The recommended mitigation strategy includes not only updating the plugin but also implementing comprehensive input validation, output escaping, and regular security audits to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in other components of the WordPress ecosystem.