CVE-2024-37549 in Save as PDF Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 07/21/2024
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation (XSS or 'Cross-site Scripting') vulnerability in Pdfcrowd Save as PDF plugin by Pdfcrowd allows Stored XSS.This issue affects Save as PDF plugin by Pdfcrowd: from n/a through 4.0.0.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/17/2025
The CVE-2024-37549 vulnerability represents a critical security flaw in the Pdfcrowd Save as PDF plugin that enables stored cross-site scripting attacks through improper input neutralization during web page generation. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-site Scripting, specifically manifesting as a stored XSS variant that can persist across multiple user sessions. The issue affects all versions of the plugin up to and including version 4.0.0, creating a significant risk for websites and web applications that rely on this plugin for PDF generation functionality.
The technical flaw occurs when the plugin fails to properly sanitize or escape user-supplied input before incorporating it into dynamically generated web pages. When malicious actors inject malicious scripts through input fields or parameters that are then processed by the plugin, these scripts become permanently stored within the application's database or server-side components. This stored nature means that any user accessing pages generated by the plugin will execute the malicious code in their browser context, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to bypass standard security measures that typically protect against reflected XSS attacks. Since the malicious code is stored server-side rather than being passed through URL parameters or request headers, traditional input validation and sanitization mechanisms may not catch the threat. This vulnerability particularly affects WordPress environments where the Pdfcrowd plugin is commonly deployed, potentially compromising entire websites and user data. The stored nature of the attack means that victims need not actively interact with malicious links or pages, as the malicious code executes automatically when the affected web pages are rendered.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate patching of the plugin to version 4.0.1 or later, which presumably contains the necessary fixes for input sanitization. Additionally, administrators should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms, particularly around user-supplied content that gets processed by the plugin. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1566.001 - Phishing, as attackers can leverage stored XSS to redirect users to malicious sites or steal session cookies. Organizations should also consider implementing Content Security Policy headers, regular security audits of third-party plugins, and network monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability underscores the importance of proper input sanitization practices and the need for continuous security testing of web applications and their components, particularly those handling user-generated content.