CVE-2024-3167 in Ocean Extra Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 04/10/2024
The Ocean Extra plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via the ‘twitter_username’ parameter in versions up to, and including, 2.2.6 due to insufficient input sanitization and output escaping. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with contributor-level permissions 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 • 04/07/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-3167 affects the Ocean Extra plugin for WordPress, specifically impacting versions up to and including 2.2.6. This represents a critical security flaw that undermines the integrity of WordPress installations relying on this plugin. The issue stems from inadequate input validation and output escaping mechanisms within the plugin's codebase, creating an avenue for malicious actors to exploit the system's trust model.
The technical flaw manifests through the 'twitter_username' parameter which fails to properly sanitize user input before processing. This parameter accepts data from authenticated users with contributor-level permissions or higher, allowing them to inject malicious scripts directly into the plugin's configuration. The vulnerability is classified as stored cross-site scripting because the injected scripts are permanently stored within the application's database and executed whenever affected pages are accessed by any user, regardless of their permission level. This creates a persistent threat vector that can affect all users who encounter the compromised content.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to WordPress site administrators and their visitors. Attackers with contributor permissions can leverage this flaw to execute malicious code in the context of any user's browser, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites. The impact extends beyond individual compromised accounts as the stored nature of the vulnerability means that once injected, malicious scripts persist until manually removed from the database. This creates a long-term threat that can remain undetected for extended periods, particularly in environments where regular security monitoring is insufficient.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which defines Cross-Site Scripting as a weakness where untrusted data is incorporated into web pages without proper validation or escaping. This weakness is further categorized under the ATT&CK framework as part of the Web Application Attack Techniques, specifically relating to the execution of malicious code in user browsers. Organizations should implement immediate mitigation strategies including plugin updates to versions that address this vulnerability, implementing additional input validation measures, and conducting thorough security audits of all plugins and themes. Regular monitoring of plugin repositories and maintaining updated security practices are essential to prevent exploitation of similar vulnerabilities in the WordPress ecosystem.