CVE-2024-4092 in Slider Revolution Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 05/03/2024
The Slider Revolution plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via the ‘htmltag’ parameter in all versions up to, and including, 6.7.7 due to insufficient input sanitization and output escaping. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers to inject arbitrary web scripts in pages that will execute whenever a user accesses an injected page. By default, this can only be exploited by administrators, but the ability to use and configure Slider Revolution can be extended to authors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/02/2025
The Slider Revolution plugin for WordPress represents one of the most widely deployed slider solutions in the wordpress ecosystem with over 10 million installations across numerous websites. This plugin enables users to create dynamic content sliders and carousels that enhance website presentation and user engagement. The vulnerability identified in versions up to and including 6.7.7 stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms within the plugin's processing of the 'htmltag' parameter. This parameter is specifically designed to handle HTML tag specifications for slider elements but fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input before storage and subsequent execution. The vulnerability manifests as a stored cross-site scripting flaw that allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into the plugin's database storage, making the malicious code persistent across multiple user sessions and page views.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of the 'htmltag' parameter within the plugin's administrative interface or API endpoints. When an authenticated user with sufficient privileges submits content containing malicious script tags through this parameter, the input passes through insufficient sanitization filters and gets stored in the database. During subsequent page rendering, the stored malicious code executes in the context of the victim's browser without proper output escaping, enabling attackers to perform actions such as stealing cookies, session tokens, or redirecting users to malicious sites. This vulnerability specifically aligns with CWE-79 which categorizes cross-site scripting flaws as weaknesses in input validation and output encoding. The attack vector operates through the standard web application security principle where untrusted input is not properly validated or escaped before being rendered in web pages.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution as it represents a critical privilege escalation risk within WordPress environments. By default, the plugin's configuration restricts exploitation to administrator accounts, but security misconfigurations or role modifications can extend this capability to authors and other lower-privileged users. This creates a significant risk for websites where content creators might have access to the slider plugin functionality. The stored nature of the vulnerability means that once exploited, malicious scripts persist indefinitely until manually removed from the database, potentially affecting thousands of users over extended periods. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to establish persistent backdoors, harvest user credentials, or redirect traffic to phishing sites, making it particularly dangerous for business-critical websites that rely heavily on slider functionality for their user experience.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability must address both immediate remediation and long-term prevention strategies. The most effective immediate solution involves upgrading to the patched version of the Slider Revolution plugin, which implements proper input sanitization and output escaping mechanisms. Organizations should also implement strict input validation policies that filter and sanitize all user-supplied data before storage, particularly for parameters handling HTML content. Network-based protections such as web application firewalls can provide additional defense-in-depth layers by detecting and blocking suspicious script injection attempts. Regular security audits and privilege reviews should be conducted to ensure that only necessary users maintain access to plugin configuration interfaces. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of following secure coding practices as outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and MITRE ATT&CK framework, specifically addressing the threat of server-side request forgery and privilege escalation attacks that leverage weak input validation controls. Organizations should implement comprehensive monitoring solutions to detect anomalous script injection patterns and maintain regular backup strategies to facilitate quick recovery from potential compromise scenarios.