CVE-2024-29814 in Exchange Rates Widget Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 03/27/2024
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') vulnerability in CurrencyRate.Today Exchange Rates Widget allows Stored XSS.This issue affects Exchange Rates Widget: from n/a through 1.4.0.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/12/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-29814 represents a critical cross-site scripting weakness within the CurrencyRate.Today Exchange Rates Widget software component. This flaw resides in the improper neutralization of input during web page generation processes, creating an avenue for malicious actors to inject persistent scripts into web applications. The vulnerability specifically affects versions of the Exchange Rates Widget ranging from an unspecified starting point through version 1.4.0, indicating a potentially wide range of affected installations. The stored nature of this XSS vulnerability means that malicious scripts are permanently stored on the server and executed every time the affected page is loaded, making it particularly dangerous for user sessions and data integrity.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate sanitization of user-supplied input within the widget's web page generation logic. When users interact with the widget or when the system processes external data feeds, input parameters are not properly validated or escaped before being rendered in HTML output. This failure allows attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code that gets stored within the application's database or storage mechanisms. The vulnerability maps directly to CWE-79 which defines Cross-Site Scripting as a condition where an application fails to properly neutralize user-controllable input data that is subsequently used in the generation of dynamic web content. The attack vector leverages the web application's trust in user input without proper verification, enabling persistent script execution across multiple user sessions.
The operational impact of this stored XSS vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or session hijacking. Attackers can exploit this weakness to perform a wide range of malicious activities including credential theft, session manipulation, redirection to malicious sites, and data exfiltration. The persistent nature of the vulnerability means that once injected, malicious scripts continue to execute whenever users access the affected widget, potentially compromising numerous users over extended periods. This vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1531 which describes the use of malicious scripts to gain access to user sessions and steal sensitive information. The affected system could be used to establish a persistent backdoor for further attacks, potentially leading to complete system compromise or data breach scenarios that would severely impact user trust and regulatory compliance.
Organizations utilizing the CurrencyRate.Today Exchange Rates Widget should immediately implement comprehensive mitigation strategies to address this vulnerability. The primary remediation approach involves implementing strict input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the web application's data processing pipeline. All user-supplied input must undergo rigorous sanitization before being stored or rendered in web pages, with special attention to HTML and JavaScript encoding of potentially dangerous characters. The software vendor should release a patched version that enforces proper content security policies and implements robust input validation routines. Additionally, administrators should consider implementing web application firewalls and content security policies to detect and prevent malicious script injection attempts. Regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of the web application ecosystem. The remediation process should also include user education about the risks of interacting with untrusted content and monitoring for suspicious activities that may indicate exploitation attempts.