CVE-2024-13402 in Buddyboss Platform Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 02/27/2025
The Buddyboss Platform plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via the ‘link_title’ parameter in all versions up to, and including, 2.7.70 due to insufficient input sanitization and output escaping. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Subscriber-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 • 05/24/2025
The Buddyboss Platform plugin for WordPress represents a widely used social networking solution that enables users to create community-driven websites with features including user profiles, messaging, groups, and activity streams. This plugin has been identified with a critical stored cross-site scripting vulnerability affecting all versions up to and including 2.7.70. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input sanitization and output escaping mechanisms within the plugin's codebase, specifically concerning the 'link_title' parameter handling. Attackers with subscriber-level access or higher can exploit this weakness to inject malicious scripts that will execute whenever any user accesses a page containing the injected content.
The technical flaw manifests in the plugin's failure to properly sanitize user input before storing it in the database and subsequently rendering it on web pages. When the 'link_title' parameter is processed, the plugin does not adequately filter or escape special characters that could be interpreted as HTML or JavaScript code. This vulnerability falls under CWE-79 which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting flaws where untrusted data is improperly incorporated into web pages without proper sanitization. The stored nature of this vulnerability means that malicious scripts are persisted in the database and executed every time affected pages are loaded, making the attack particularly dangerous as it can affect multiple users without requiring them to click on specific links.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant for organizations relying on Buddyboss Platform as it allows authenticated attackers to execute arbitrary code in the context of any user's browser. This could enable attackers to steal session cookies, perform actions on behalf of users, redirect them to malicious sites, or even escalate privileges within the WordPress environment. The vulnerability affects all user roles with subscriber-level access or higher, which is particularly concerning since subscribers can typically create and modify content within the platform. This makes the attack surface larger as attackers can leverage existing user accounts rather than needing to compromise authentication credentials. The vulnerability can be exploited through the plugin's content creation and editing interfaces, making it difficult to detect and trace back to the original source of the malicious payload.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate patching of the plugin to the latest version where the vulnerability has been addressed. Organizations should also implement additional security measures including input validation at multiple layers, output escaping for all dynamic content, and regular security audits of plugin code. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1566 which covers Phishing with Malicious Attachments or Links, and T1059 which covers Command and Scripting Interpreter. Security teams should monitor for suspicious content creation activities and implement web application firewalls to detect and block malicious payloads. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing role-based access controls and regular security training for users to reduce the risk of successful exploitation. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input validation and output escaping practices as outlined in the OWASP Top Ten security principles, particularly focusing on the prevention of XSS attacks through proper sanitization of user inputs.