CVE-2024-2304 in Animated Headline Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 03/20/2024
The Animated Headline plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via the plugin's 'animated-headline' shortcode in all versions up to, and including, 4.0 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 • 04/13/2026
The Animated Headline plugin for WordPress represents a critical security vulnerability that has been identified through CVE-2024-2304, affecting all versions up to and including 4.0. This vulnerability manifests as a stored cross-site scripting flaw that specifically targets the plugin's 'animated-headline' shortcode functionality, creating a persistent threat vector within WordPress environments. The issue stems from inadequate input sanitization mechanisms and insufficient output escaping procedures that fail to properly validate or escape user-supplied attributes before processing them within the plugin's shortcode implementation.
The technical nature of this vulnerability places it firmly within the category of CWE-79 - Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, which specifically addresses the failure to properly escape or sanitize user input before incorporating it into web page content. This flaw allows authenticated attackers who possess contributor-level permissions or higher to exploit the system by injecting malicious scripts through the shortcode attributes. The stored nature of this XSS vulnerability means that the malicious code persists within the system and executes automatically whenever any user accesses a page containing the injected content, creating a persistent threat that can affect multiple users over time.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it provides attackers with a means to escalate their privileges and potentially compromise entire WordPress installations. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to execute malicious scripts in the context of the victim's browser, potentially enabling them to steal session cookies, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of users, or redirect users to malicious websites. The fact that this affects users with contributor-level permissions or higher creates a significant risk for WordPress sites where multiple users have varying levels of access, as it allows for privilege escalation through social engineering or compromised accounts.
The implications of this vulnerability align with several ATT&CK framework techniques including T1059.001 - Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell, T1566.001 - Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment, and T1203 - Exploitation for Client Execution, as attackers can leverage the stored XSS to execute malicious code in user browsers and potentially use the compromised systems as entry points for further attacks. Organizations running affected WordPress installations face significant risk of data breaches, unauthorized access, and potential full system compromise. The vulnerability particularly affects WordPress environments where contributors and higher-level users have access to the shortcode functionality, making it a serious concern for sites with collaborative publishing workflows.
Mitigation strategies should include immediate plugin updates to versions that address the input sanitization and output escaping deficiencies, along with implementing proper access controls to limit contributor-level permissions where possible. Security measures should also include regular monitoring of user activity, implementation of content security policies, and comprehensive security audits of all installed plugins. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and regular security scanning to detect and prevent exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation and output escaping in web applications, particularly in content management systems where user-generated content processing is common.