CVE-2024-2957 in Simple Ajax Chat Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 04/10/2024
The Simple Ajax Chat – Add a Fast, Secure Chat Box plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via the name field in all versions up to, and including, 20240216 due to insufficient input sanitization and output escaping. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attacker 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 • 05/16/2026
The Simple Ajax Chat plugin for WordPress represents a widely used communication tool that enables website administrators to add real-time chat functionality to their sites. This particular vulnerability affects all versions up to and including 20240216, creating a significant security risk for WordPress installations that utilize this plugin. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization mechanisms within the plugin's codebase, specifically targeting the name field parameter that users can submit when participating in chat sessions.
The technical flaw manifests as a stored cross-site scripting vulnerability that operates through the name field input parameter. When an attacker submits malicious script code through this field, the plugin fails to properly sanitize or escape the input before storing it in the database. Subsequently, when other users access pages containing this stored malicious content, the injected scripts execute within their browser context. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, specifically classified as a stored XSS variant where the malicious payload is permanently stored on the server and executed during subsequent page requests.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, and redirection to malicious websites. Unauthenticated attackers can exploit this vulnerability without requiring any prior access to the WordPress administration panel or user accounts. The stored nature of the vulnerability means that the malicious scripts persist indefinitely until manually removed by administrators, creating a persistent threat vector that can affect all users who view affected pages. This vulnerability directly aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for initial access through spearphishing attachments and T1584.002 for infrastructure using compromised websites.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should prioritize immediate patching of the plugin to the latest version where the sanitization issues have been addressed. Administrators should implement input validation at multiple layers including client-side and server-side filtering to prevent malicious payloads from being accepted. Output escaping should be enforced for all user-provided data displayed in chat interfaces to prevent script execution. Network monitoring should be enhanced to detect suspicious input patterns in chat submissions, while regular security audits of plugin code should be conducted to identify similar sanitization gaps. The vulnerability also underscores the importance of maintaining up-to-date WordPress installations and plugins, as well as implementing web application firewalls that can detect and block XSS attack patterns. Additionally, administrators should consider implementing content security policies that restrict script execution within chat interfaces to further reduce the impact of potential XSS attacks.