CVE-2024-2861 in ProfilePress Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 05/23/2024
The ProfilePress plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via the ProfilePress User Panel widget in all versions up to, and including, 4.15.8 due to insufficient input sanitization and output escaping on user supplied attributes. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with contributor-level access and above, 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 • 06/06/2025
The ProfilePress plugin for WordPress represents a widely used solution for user profile management and membership functionality within the wordpress ecosystem. This particular vulnerability affects versions up to and including 4.15.8, exposing a critical stored cross-site scripting flaw that significantly compromises user security. The vulnerability specifically targets the ProfilePress User Panel widget component, which serves as an interface for users to manage their profiles and access various membership features. Attackers exploiting this weakness can manipulate the plugin's behavior by injecting malicious scripts through user-supplied attributes that are not properly sanitized or escaped during processing. The security implications extend beyond simple script injection as this vulnerability affects the entire user panel functionality and can be leveraged to execute arbitrary code within the context of any user's browser session.
The technical flaw stems from inadequate input sanitization and output escaping mechanisms within the plugin's codebase. When administrators or users with contributor-level privileges access the ProfilePress User Panel widget, the system fails to properly validate or sanitize user-supplied attributes before storing them in the database. This allows malicious input to be persistently stored and subsequently executed whenever the affected pages are accessed by other users. The vulnerability operates through a classic stored XSS attack vector where the malicious script is stored server-side and executed client-side when legitimate users view pages containing the compromised data. This attack pattern aligns with CWE-79, which defines cross-site scripting vulnerabilities as the injection of malicious scripts into web applications that are then executed by unsuspecting users. The attack requires minimal privileges, as authenticated users with contributor-level access or higher can exploit this weakness, making it particularly dangerous in environments where multiple users have elevated permissions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple data corruption or display issues. An attacker with contributor-level access can craft malicious scripts that can steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, perform actions on behalf of users, or even execute more sophisticated attacks such as credential harvesting. The stored nature of this vulnerability means that the malicious code remains persistent and can affect multiple users over extended periods. This makes it particularly dangerous in multi-user environments where administrators might not immediately notice the compromise, and the malicious scripts can execute whenever any user accesses pages containing the injected content. The vulnerability affects all users who access pages containing the compromised ProfilePress User Panel widget, making it a systemic risk rather than an isolated incident that could impact the entire WordPress installation's security posture.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate patching to version 4.15.9 or later, which contains the necessary security fixes for the stored XSS vulnerability. Organizations should also implement additional security measures such as monitoring user activities for unusual attribute modifications, implementing content security policies to prevent script execution, and conducting regular security audits of third-party plugins. The principle of least privilege should be enforced to limit user access to plugin settings and widget configurations. Security teams should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block malicious input patterns, while establishing monitoring protocols to identify unauthorized modifications to plugin components. Additionally, regular security assessments of all installed plugins should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities and ensure that all third-party components maintain current security standards. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of input validation and output escaping in web applications, as defined by the OWASP Top Ten security principles and ATT&CK framework's defensive techniques for preventing code injection attacks.