CVE-2024-39627 in NextGEN Gallery Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 08/02/2024
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation (XSS or 'Cross-site Scripting') vulnerability in Imagely NextGEN Gallery allows Stored XSS.This issue affects NextGEN Gallery: from n/a through 3.59.3.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/16/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-39627 represents a critical security flaw in the Imagely NextGEN Gallery plugin for WordPress, specifically classified as an improper neutralization of input during web page generation. This weakness manifests as a stored cross-site scripting vulnerability that allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into the application's web pages. The vulnerability exists within the plugin's handling of user input during the generation of web content, where insufficient sanitization or validation permits malicious payloads to be permanently stored and subsequently executed in the context of other users' browsers. The affected version range spans from an unknown starting point through version 3.59.3, indicating a long-standing issue that has persisted across multiple releases. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-79, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting flaws in software applications. The stored nature of this XSS vulnerability means that once malicious input is accepted and processed by the plugin, it remains persistent within the application's database and will be executed every time affected pages are loaded by unsuspecting users. This creates a particularly dangerous scenario where attackers can establish backdoors, steal session cookies, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of users, or redirect victims to malicious websites.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or session hijacking, as it provides attackers with the ability to completely compromise user sessions and potentially gain administrative privileges if the affected users are administrators. When users browse pages containing the stored malicious scripts, the payloads execute in their browsers with the privileges of the logged-in user, which could include access to sensitive data, modification of content, or even complete account takeover. The vulnerability's presence in the NextGEN Gallery plugin, which is widely used for managing and displaying images on WordPress sites, amplifies its potential impact as attackers can target numerous websites simultaneously. The stored XSS nature means that the malicious code remains active even after the initial injection, creating a persistent threat that can affect multiple users over extended periods. This vulnerability directly aligns with ATT&CK technique T1531, which involves the use of malicious scripts to gain access to user sessions and perform unauthorized actions within web applications.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2024-39627 must prioritize immediate action through plugin updates to versions that address the XSS vulnerability, as the vendor has likely released patches to resolve the input sanitization issues. Administrators should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application, particularly focusing on user-generated content that is stored and later displayed. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide additional protection layers by restricting script execution and preventing unauthorized code injection. Regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar input validation weaknesses in other components of the web application. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious script injection attempts, while maintaining detailed logging of user activities to identify potential exploitation attempts. Network segmentation and privilege separation can help limit the damage if exploitation occurs, ensuring that even if one user account is compromised, attackers cannot easily escalate privileges or access other systems. The remediation process should include thorough testing of the updated plugin to ensure that the XSS vulnerability is completely resolved without introducing new compatibility issues or breaking existing functionality.