CVE-2024-12508 in Glofox Shortcodes Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 01/17/2025
The Glofox Shortcodes plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via the plugin's 'glofox' and 'glofox_lead_capture ' shortcodes in all versions up to, and including, 2.6 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 vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-12508 affects the Glofox Shortcodes plugin for WordPress, specifically targeting versions up to and including 2.6. This represents a critical security flaw that undermines the integrity of WordPress installations using this plugin. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input sanitization and output escaping mechanisms within the plugin's shortcode implementation, creating a pathway for malicious code injection that can compromise user sessions and potentially lead to broader system compromise.
The technical flaw manifests through the plugin's 'glofox' and 'glofox_lead_capture' shortcodes which fail to properly validate or sanitize user-supplied attributes before processing them. This insufficient sanitization creates a stored cross-site scripting vulnerability where malicious scripts can be permanently stored within the WordPress database and executed whenever affected pages are accessed. The vulnerability requires only contributor-level access or higher, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited by users who already have some level of administrative privileges within the WordPress environment.
Attackers leveraging this vulnerability can inject arbitrary web scripts that execute in the context of other users' browsers when they access pages containing the maliciously injected content. This stored XSS attack vector allows for persistent malicious code execution, potentially enabling session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious websites. The impact extends beyond simple script execution as it can be used to escalate privileges, modify content, or establish persistent backdoors within the compromised WordPress installation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant for WordPress administrators who may not immediately detect the presence of malicious scripts within their content management system. The stored nature of the vulnerability means that once injected, malicious code persists until manually removed, potentially affecting numerous users over extended periods. This vulnerability directly aligns with CWE-79 which defines cross-site scripting as a common weakness in web applications, and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for initial access through malicious content. Organizations using the Glofox Shortcodes plugin should immediately update to the latest version to remediate this vulnerability and consider conducting security audits of their WordPress installations to identify any potential exploitation that may have already occurred.
Mitigation strategies should include immediate plugin updates to versions that address the sanitization and escaping issues, along with implementing comprehensive input validation for all user-supplied content. Administrators should also consider implementing additional security measures such as web application firewalls, regular security scanning, and monitoring for unauthorized content modifications. The principle of least privilege should be enforced to limit contributor-level access to only necessary functionality, reducing the attack surface for potential exploitation. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be implemented to identify similar issues in other plugins or themes that may be susceptible to similar input validation flaws.