CVE-2024-29796 in Hot Random Image Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 03/27/2024
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') vulnerability in Hot Themes Hot Random Image allows Stored XSS.This issue affects Hot Random Image: from n/a through 1.8.1.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/09/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-29796 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Hot Random Image plugin for WordPress, specifically impacting versions ranging from an unspecified beginning through version 1.8.1. This issue falls under the category of improper input neutralization during web page generation, creating a persistent security weakness that allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users. The vulnerability specifically enables stored cross-site scripting attacks, meaning that malicious code can be permanently stored on the server and subsequently executed whenever affected pages are accessed by unsuspecting users.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate sanitization and validation of user-supplied input within the plugin's web page generation process. When users interact with the plugin's functionality, particularly through form inputs or parameter handling, the system fails to properly sanitize or escape potentially malicious content before incorporating it into dynamically generated web pages. This deficiency creates an environment where attackers can submit crafted payloads that are then stored within the plugin's database or configuration files. These stored payloads are subsequently retrieved and executed within the context of other users' browsers when they view pages that utilize the vulnerable plugin's functionality.
From an operational standpoint, this vulnerability presents significant risks to website administrators and their visitors. Attackers can leverage this stored XSS vulnerability to execute malicious scripts in the browsers of other users, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, defacement of web content, or redirection to malicious websites. The persistent nature of stored XSS means that the attack remains active until the malicious content is manually removed from the system, providing attackers with extended opportunities to compromise user sessions and extract sensitive information. This vulnerability is particularly concerning in environments where the plugin is used for user-generated content or where administrators have varying levels of access control, as it can facilitate privilege escalation attacks.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and represents a classic example of how insufficient input validation and output encoding can create persistent security weaknesses in web applications. From an attack framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to multiple ATT&CK techniques including T1566.001 for spearphishing with malicious attachments and T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter, as attackers can use the XSS capability to establish persistent access through malicious script execution. Organizations utilizing Hot Random Image plugin should prioritize immediate remediation by updating to the latest version, implementing additional input validation measures, and conducting thorough security audits of all plugin installations to identify potential similar vulnerabilities. The recommended mitigation strategy includes comprehensive input sanitization, output encoding, and regular security assessments to prevent exploitation of similar weaknesses in other components of the web application stack.