CVE-2024-38670 in Team Members Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 07/20/2024
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation (XSS or 'Cross-site Scripting') vulnerability in Team Members allows Stored XSS.This issue affects Team Members: from n/a through 5.3.3.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/17/2025
This vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw in the Team Members plugin that enables attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users. The issue manifests as a stored XSS vulnerability, meaning that malicious payloads persist in the application's database and execute whenever affected pages are rendered. The vulnerability exists in the input processing mechanisms during web page generation, where user-provided data fails to be properly sanitized or escaped before being incorporated into dynamic web content. This allows attackers to craft malicious input that gets stored in the system and subsequently executed in the context of other users' browsers, potentially leading to session hijacking, data theft, or further exploitation of the compromised user accounts.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws where untrusted data is improperly incorporated into web pages without adequate sanitization. This weakness creates a persistent attack vector where malicious scripts can be executed in the context of any user who views the affected content, making it particularly dangerous for collaborative platforms where multiple users interact with shared data. The vulnerability affects all versions of Team Members up to and including version 5.3.3, indicating a widespread exposure across multiple releases. The stored nature of the XSS means that once an attacker successfully injects malicious code, it remains active until manually removed from the system, providing sustained access to compromised users.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution to encompass potential complete compromise of user sessions and access to sensitive organizational data. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to steal authentication cookies, execute arbitrary commands on behalf of users, or redirect them to malicious sites for phishing attacks. The persistent nature of stored XSS means that even if users clear their browser cache or sessions, the malicious code continues to execute when they access affected pages. This vulnerability particularly impacts collaborative environments where team members share sensitive information, making it attractive to threat actors seeking to gain unauthorized access to organizational resources. The vulnerability can be exploited through various input fields within the Team Members plugin, including profile information, team member descriptions, or any user-generated content that gets rendered in web pages.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application's data flow. Organizations should immediately update to the latest version of Team Members where this vulnerability has been patched, as the vendor likely implemented proper sanitization of user inputs and appropriate HTML escaping mechanisms. Additionally, implementing Content Security Policy headers can provide an additional layer of protection against XSS attacks by restricting the sources from which scripts can be loaded. Regular security audits of input handling mechanisms and implementing automated testing for XSS vulnerabilities should be part of ongoing security practices. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of following secure coding practices such as those outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and the ATT&CK framework's techniques for command and control, where XSS can serve as an initial access vector for more sophisticated attacks. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious input patterns that could indicate XSS attempts, though this should not replace proper input sanitization at the application level.