CVE-2024-1282 in Email Encoder Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 02/29/2024
The Email Encoder – Protect Email Addresses and Phone Numbers plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via the plugin's shortcode(s) in all versions up to, and including, 2.2.0 due to insufficient input sanitization and output escaping on user supplied attributes. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers with contributor-level and above permissions 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 • 04/12/2026
The Email Encoder plugin for WordPress presents a critical stored cross-site scripting vulnerability that affects versions up to and including 2.2.0. This vulnerability stems from inadequate input sanitization and output escaping mechanisms within the plugin's shortcode implementation, creating a persistent security flaw that can be exploited by authenticated attackers. The vulnerability specifically targets user-supplied attributes within the plugin's shortcode functionality, allowing malicious actors to inject malicious scripts that persist in the application's database.
The technical flaw resides in the plugin's failure to properly sanitize and escape user-provided input parameters when processing shortcode attributes. When administrators or users with contributor-level permissions or higher create or modify content using the plugin's shortcode functionality, the system does not adequately validate or escape the input data before storing it in the WordPress database. This stored data is then served back to users without proper output escaping, creating the classic stored XSS attack vector. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and specifically targets the plugin's shortcode processing mechanism where user attributes are parsed and rendered.
Attackers with contributor-level permissions or higher can exploit this vulnerability by crafting malicious shortcode parameters that contain embedded JavaScript code or other malicious payloads. Once these payloads are stored through the plugin's shortcode functionality, they become persistent and execute whenever any user accesses pages containing the injected content. The operational impact is significant as it allows for unauthorized code execution in the context of the victim's browser, potentially enabling session hijacking, credential theft, or further exploitation of the compromised WordPress installation. This vulnerability essentially provides attackers with a persistent backdoor mechanism within the WordPress environment.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which defines Cross-Site Scripting as a common web application security flaw occurring when untrusted data is sent to a web browser without proper validation or escaping. From an adversarial perspective, this vulnerability maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript, as it enables attackers to execute JavaScript code within user browsers. The attack chain typically begins with an authenticated user with contributor permissions or higher, followed by the injection of malicious scripts through shortcode parameters, and culminates in code execution within victim browsers during normal page access operations. Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of this vulnerability and implement additional monitoring for suspicious shortcode usage patterns.
Mitigation strategies include applying the latest plugin updates from the vendor, implementing strict input validation for all user-supplied parameters, and employing output escaping mechanisms for all dynamic content rendering. Administrators should also consider implementing role-based access controls to limit who can create or modify content using potentially vulnerable shortcodes, and deploy web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious script injection attempts. Regular security audits of installed plugins and themes should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities, while maintaining comprehensive logging and monitoring of user activities within the WordPress administration interface to detect potential exploitation attempts.