CVE-2024-2640 in Watu Quiz Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 07/12/2024
The Watu Quiz WordPress plugin before 3.4.1.2 does not sanitise and escape some of its settings, which could allow users such as authors (if they've been authorized by admins) to perform Stored Cross-Site Scripting attacks even when the unfiltered_html capability is disallowed.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/19/2025
The CVE-2024-2640 vulnerability affects the Watu Quiz WordPress plugin version 3.4.1.1 and earlier, representing a critical stored cross-site scripting flaw that undermines the security posture of WordPress installations. This vulnerability specifically targets the plugin's handling of user input within its settings management system, creating a persistent security risk that can be exploited by authenticated users with limited privileges.
The technical flaw stems from inadequate sanitization and escaping of user-provided data within the plugin's administrative interfaces. When administrators configure quiz settings or manage quiz content, the plugin fails to properly validate and escape input parameters before storing them in the database. This oversight allows malicious actors with author-level privileges to inject malicious JavaScript code into the plugin's settings fields. Even when the WordPress environment restricts unfiltered_html capability for authors, the vulnerability persists because the plugin does not implement proper input validation at the plugin level.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it enables attackers to execute persistent XSS attacks against other users who access the affected plugin's administrative interfaces. Once injected, the malicious scripts can execute in the context of other users' browsers, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or further privilege escalation within the WordPress environment. The stored nature of this vulnerability means that the malicious code persists until manually removed, creating an ongoing threat vector that can affect multiple users over extended periods.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 (Cross-Site Scripting) and represents a classic case of insufficient input validation and output escaping. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this issue maps to T1059.007 (Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript) and T1548.003 (Abuse Elevation Control Mechanism: Sudo and Sudo Caching) as it allows privilege escalation through session manipulation. The vulnerability also demonstrates characteristics of T1213.002 (Data from Information Repositories: Databases) as it involves unauthorized data manipulation within the WordPress database.
Organizations should immediately update to Watu Quiz plugin version 3.4.1.2 or later to remediate this vulnerability. Administrators should also conduct thorough security audits of all installed plugins to identify similar sanitization issues. Additional mitigation strategies include implementing strict content security policies, monitoring plugin settings for unauthorized modifications, and ensuring that user privileges are properly restricted according to the principle of least privilege. Regular security scanning of WordPress installations and maintaining updated security tooling can help detect similar vulnerabilities in other plugins or themes that may not yet have been patched.