CVE-2024-2220 in Button Contact VR Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 05/23/2024
The Button contact VR WordPress plugin through 4.7 does not sanitise and escape some of its settings, which could allow high privilege users such as admin to perform Stored Cross-Site Scripting attacks even when the unfiltered_html capability is disallowed (for example in multisite setup)
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/28/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-2220 affects the Button contact VR WordPress plugin version 4.7 and earlier, presenting a critical security risk through stored cross-site scripting exploitation. This flaw exists within the plugin's handling of user settings where insufficient sanitization and escaping mechanisms leave malicious scripts vulnerable to persistent execution. The vulnerability specifically targets high-privilege users such as administrators who possess the ability to modify plugin configurations despite systems that typically restrict unfiltered_html capabilities, particularly in multisite environments where such restrictions are commonly enforced.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the plugin's failure to properly sanitize user input within its administrative settings interface. When administrators configure plugin parameters through the WordPress dashboard, the input values are stored without adequate validation or escaping processes that would prevent malicious script execution. This represents a classic stored XSS vulnerability pattern where malicious payloads are injected into the application's database and subsequently executed when other users access the affected pages. The flaw operates through CWE-79, which classifies improper neutralization of input during web page generation as a primary cause for XSS vulnerabilities, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for the initial access phase through malicious web content.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution as it enables attackers with administrative privileges to compromise entire WordPress installations through persistent malicious code injection. In multisite configurations where unfiltered_html is typically restricted to prevent widespread XSS exploitation, this vulnerability allows administrators to bypass these security controls through the plugin's insecure input handling. The stored nature of the vulnerability means that malicious scripts remain active even after the initial injection, continuously affecting all users who interact with the affected plugin settings or pages that display the stored content.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2024-2220 require immediate plugin updates to version 4.8 or later where the sanitization and escaping mechanisms have been properly implemented. Administrators should also conduct comprehensive security audits of their WordPress installations to identify any existing malicious payloads that may have been injected through this vulnerability. The implementation of additional security measures including content security policy headers, regular security scanning, and monitoring of plugin configuration changes can help detect and prevent similar vulnerabilities. Organizations should also consider implementing principle of least privilege access controls and regular security training for administrators to reduce the attack surface and prevent unauthorized privilege escalation that could lead to exploitation of this vulnerability.