CVE-2024-4664 in WP Chat App Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 06/27/2024
The WP Chat App WordPress plugin before 3.6.5 does not sanitise and escape some of its settings, which could allow high privilege users such as admins to perform Cross-Site Scripting attacks even when unfiltered_html is disallowed.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/22/2025
The WP Chat App WordPress plugin vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-4664 represents a critical security flaw affecting versions prior to 3.6.5. This vulnerability specifically targets the plugin's handling of user settings and configuration parameters, creating an environment where malicious actors can exploit insufficient input sanitization and output escaping mechanisms. The flaw particularly affects high-privilege users including administrators who possess the ability to modify plugin settings, making this attack vector especially dangerous within WordPress environments where administrative access is often targeted by threat actors.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the plugin's failure to properly sanitize user-supplied input data before storing or rendering it within the WordPress admin interface. When administrators configure plugin settings through the user interface, the application does not adequately validate or escape potentially malicious content that could contain scripting payloads. This weakness allows attackers with administrative privileges to inject cross-site scripting code into plugin configuration fields, which then executes in the context of other users' browsers when they access the affected administrative pages. The vulnerability persists even when WordPress is configured to disallow unfiltered_html, which typically protects against such attacks by restricting raw HTML injection in user-facing content areas.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple XSS execution as it provides attackers with a persistent foothold within WordPress installations. Administrative users who are tricked into saving malicious content within plugin settings can potentially escalate their privileges or extract sensitive data from other users' sessions. The vulnerability's exploitation requires administrative access, but once achieved, it can serve as a launching point for more sophisticated attacks including session hijacking, data exfiltration, or even complete system compromise. This makes the vulnerability particularly concerning for WordPress installations where administrative accounts are frequently targeted through credential theft or social engineering attacks.
Security professionals should prioritize patching affected installations immediately, as the vulnerability exists in versions prior to 3.6.5 and represents a straightforward exploit that does not require advanced technical skills. Organizations should implement comprehensive monitoring for suspicious administrative activities and ensure that only trusted personnel have access to plugin configuration interfaces. The mitigation strategy should include updating to the patched version of the WP Chat App plugin, implementing proper input validation at multiple layers, and conducting regular security audits of WordPress plugin configurations. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which describes cross-site scripting flaws, and may map to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter execution. Additionally, the weakness demonstrates poor input validation practices that could be addressed through proper implementation of the OWASP Top Ten security controls and adherence to secure coding practices. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and input sanitization measures to provide additional defense-in-depth layers against similar vulnerabilities in other plugins or custom applications.