CVE-2024-49248 in Ad Inserter Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 10/17/2024
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') vulnerability in Spacetime Ad Inserter ad-inserter allows Reflected XSS.This issue affects Ad Inserter: from n/a through <= 2.7.37.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/06/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-49248 represents a critical cross-site scripting weakness within the Spacetime Ad Inserter plugin, specifically affecting versions through 2.7.37. This flaw resides in the improper neutralization of input during web page generation processes, creating an avenue for malicious actors to inject arbitrary script code into web pages viewed by end users. The vulnerability manifests as a reflected cross-site scripting attack, where malicious input is immediately reflected back to the user without adequate sanitization or encoding measures.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs within the ad-inserter component of the Spacetime Ad Inserter plugin, where user-supplied parameters are directly incorporated into dynamically generated web content without proper input validation or output encoding. This weakness creates a direct pathway for attackers to craft malicious payloads that exploit the reflected XSS mechanism, allowing them to execute scripts in the context of the victim's browser session. The vulnerability's classification under CWE-79 - Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') aligns with the standard pattern of reflected XSS vulnerabilities where untrusted data flows directly into the web page without appropriate sanitization.
Operationally, this vulnerability presents significant risks to WordPress sites utilizing the affected plugin version. Attackers can exploit this flaw by crafting malicious URLs containing script payloads that, when visited by users with administrative privileges or other sensitive roles, could execute unauthorized actions. The reflected nature of the vulnerability means that the malicious code is immediately executed upon page load, making it particularly dangerous for targeted attacks against administrators or users who might inadvertently click on malicious links. This vulnerability directly maps to attack techniques described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under T1566 - Phishing and T1203 - Exploitation for Client Execution, where attackers leverage web application vulnerabilities to deliver malicious payloads to target systems.
The impact extends beyond simple script execution as this vulnerability could enable attackers to hijack user sessions, steal sensitive cookies, perform unauthorized administrative actions, or redirect users to malicious websites. Given that the vulnerability affects the ad-inserter component, it could potentially allow attackers to inject malicious advertisements or redirect traffic to phishing sites, making it particularly dangerous for sites that rely heavily on advertising content. The affected version range through 2.7.37 indicates that a substantial portion of users might be exposed to this risk, especially since many WordPress sites continue to use older plugin versions due to compatibility concerns or lack of update awareness.
Mitigation strategies should prioritize immediate patching of the affected plugin to version 2.7.38 or later, which contains the necessary fixes for the reflected XSS vulnerability. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout their web applications, ensuring that all user-supplied data is properly sanitized before being incorporated into web page content. Additional protective measures include implementing content security policies to limit script execution, monitoring for suspicious user activity, and conducting regular security audits of installed plugins to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities. The vulnerability underscores the importance of maintaining up-to-date software components and implementing robust security practices to prevent exploitation of common web application flaws that could compromise entire web infrastructures.