CVE-2024-22162 in Shortcodes Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 01/31/2024
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') vulnerability in WPZOOM Shortcodes allows Reflected XSS.This issue affects WPZOOM Shortcodes: from n/a through 1.0.1.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/20/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-22162 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the WPZOOM Shortcodes plugin for WordPress systems. This weakness falls under the category of improper input neutralization during web page generation, creating a pathway for malicious actors to inject and execute arbitrary script code within the context of a victim's browser session. The vulnerability specifically manifests as a reflected cross-site scripting issue, meaning that malicious input is immediately reflected back to users without proper sanitization or encoding mechanisms. The affected plugin version range extends from an unspecified starting point through version 1.0.1, indicating that any installation within this scope remains susceptible to exploitation.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the plugin's failure to adequately sanitize user-supplied input parameters before incorporating them into dynamically generated web content. When users interact with the plugin's functionality, particularly through URL parameters or form inputs, the system processes these inputs without sufficient validation or encoding, allowing malicious payloads to persist in the generated HTML output. This flaw directly aligns with CWE-79, which categorizes cross-site scripting vulnerabilities as a result of inadequate input validation and output encoding. The reflected nature of this vulnerability means that attackers can craft malicious URLs containing XSS payloads that, when clicked by unsuspecting users, will execute within the victim's browser context, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or unauthorized actions performed on behalf of the user.
The operational impact of CVE-2024-22162 extends beyond simple script execution, as it provides attackers with significant opportunities to compromise user sessions and manipulate web application behavior. A successful exploitation could enable attackers to steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, modify page content, or perform actions that appear to originate from legitimate users. This vulnerability particularly threatens WordPress installations that rely on the WPZOOM Shortcodes plugin, as it undermines the integrity of web page generation and potentially compromises the entire user interaction framework. The reflected nature of the vulnerability means that attack vectors can be easily distributed through phishing emails, compromised websites, or social engineering campaigns, making it particularly dangerous for widespread exploitation.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2024-22162 must prioritize immediate remediation through plugin updates to versions that address the XSS vulnerability. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms across all user-supplied data, ensuring that any content entering the web application is properly sanitized before inclusion in generated web pages. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide additional defense-in-depth measures by restricting the sources from which scripts can be executed within the browser context. Security monitoring should include detection of suspicious input patterns and unusual user behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1059.007 for script injection techniques and T1531 for credential access through session manipulation. Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments should be conducted to identify similar input sanitization weaknesses in other plugins and custom web applications, as the underlying principles of this vulnerability are commonly found in web development practices that fail to properly handle user input.