CVE-2024-49240 in AB Categories Search Widget Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 10/18/2024
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') vulnerability in ajberasategui AB Categories Search Widget ab-categories-search-widget allows Reflected XSS.This issue affects AB Categories Search Widget : from n/a through <= 0.2.5.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/06/2026
The CVE-2024-49240 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the ab-categories-search-widget plugin developed by ajberasategui. This reflected XSS vulnerability occurs during the web page generation process when user input is not properly sanitized or neutralized before being rendered back to the browser. The vulnerability specifically impacts versions of the plugin ranging from the initial release through version 0.2.5, indicating a widespread issue that has persisted across multiple iterations of the software.
The technical flaw manifests when the plugin processes user-supplied parameters through HTTP request variables, particularly in search functionality or category filtering operations. When malicious input is passed through these parameters, the plugin fails to adequately escape or encode the data before incorporating it into dynamically generated HTML content. This allows an attacker to inject malicious script code that executes in the context of a victim's browser session. The reflected nature of this vulnerability means that the malicious payload must be crafted to be submitted by an unsuspecting user, typically through phishing emails, malicious links, or social engineering tactics.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it enables attackers to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, data exfiltration, and redirection to malicious websites. An attacker could craft a URL containing malicious JavaScript code that, when visited by an authenticated user with administrative privileges, could execute commands on behalf of that user. This could lead to complete compromise of the affected WordPress installation, allowing unauthorized access to sensitive data, modification of content, or even complete system takeover. The vulnerability particularly threatens sites where administrators or users with elevated privileges interact with the plugin's search functionality.
From a cybersecurity framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications. The issue also maps to several ATT&CK techniques including T1566 for social engineering and T1059 for command and scripting interpreter usage. Organizations should immediately implement mitigation strategies including updating to the latest version of the plugin once available, implementing web application firewalls, and conducting thorough input validation on all user-supplied data. Additionally, administrators should consider implementing content security policies and regularly monitoring for suspicious activity in their web server logs to detect potential exploitation attempts.