CVE-2024-1957 in GiveWP Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 04/13/2024
The GiveWP – Donation Plugin and Fundraising Platform plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via the plugin's 'give_form' shortcode in all versions up to, and including, 3.6.1 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 • 04/06/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-1957 affects the GiveWP donation plugin for WordPress, specifically targeting versions up to and including 3.6.1. This represents a critical security flaw that exploits stored cross-site scripting mechanisms within the plugin's functionality. The vulnerability manifests through the 'give_form' shortcode which fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input attributes before rendering them in web pages. Attackers with contributor-level permissions or higher can leverage this weakness to inject malicious scripts that persist in the plugin's data storage, making it a stored XSS vulnerability rather than a reflected one.
The technical flaw resides in the insufficient input sanitization and output escaping mechanisms implemented within the plugin's shortcode processing logic. When administrators or users with appropriate privileges create or modify donation forms using the 'give_form' shortcode, the plugin fails to properly validate or escape attributes that contain user-provided content. This allows malicious actors to inject script code within parameters such as form titles, descriptions, or other configurable elements that are then stored in the database. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it requires only contributor-level access, which is often granted to trusted users who may not be fully security-aware.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution as it creates a persistent threat vector that can affect multiple users within the WordPress environment. When authenticated users access pages containing the injected scripts, the malicious code executes in their browsers, potentially leading to session hijacking, data theft, or further exploitation of the compromised systems. The stored nature of the vulnerability means that the injected scripts remain active until manually removed from the database, creating an ongoing risk for any user who encounters affected pages. This vulnerability can be particularly dangerous in environments where multiple contributors have access to form creation capabilities.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2024-1957 should prioritize immediate plugin updates to versions that address the XSS vulnerability through proper input sanitization and output escaping. Administrators should implement strict access controls and limit contributor-level permissions to only trusted individuals who understand security implications. Additionally, regular security audits of plugin functionality and input validation mechanisms should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and could potentially map to ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for initial access through malicious content injection. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and content security policies as additional defensive measures to prevent exploitation of such vulnerabilities.