CVE-2024-49289 in Cooked Pro Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 10/17/2024
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation (XSS or 'Cross-site Scripting') vulnerability in Gora Tech LLC Cooked Pro allows Stored XSS.This issue affects Cooked Pro: from n/a before 1.8.0.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/04/2025
This vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting weakness in the Cooked Pro web application developed by Gora Tech LLC, specifically classified as a stored XSS flaw that allows malicious scripts to persist and execute within the application's web pages. The vulnerability occurs during the web page generation process where input validation and sanitization mechanisms fail to properly neutralize user-supplied data before it is rendered in web content. This improper handling of input data creates an attack vector where malicious actors can inject persistent script code that will execute whenever other users view the affected web pages. The vulnerability affects all versions of Cooked Pro prior to version 1.8.0, indicating that the developers identified and addressed this security gap in their release cycle. From a technical perspective, this issue falls under CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting vulnerabilities, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1531 which covers the exploitation of web application vulnerabilities for code execution. The stored nature of this XSS vulnerability means that malicious scripts are not limited to a single request but are permanently embedded within the application's database or storage mechanisms, making them particularly dangerous as they can affect multiple users over extended periods.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or session hijacking, as it provides attackers with the capability to fully compromise user sessions and potentially gain access to sensitive application functionality. When users interact with web pages containing the stored malicious scripts, the injected code executes within the context of their browser session, potentially allowing attackers to steal cookies, modify content, redirect users to malicious sites, or perform actions on behalf of authenticated users. The vulnerability's persistence means that even after the initial injection, the malicious code continues to execute for all subsequent users who access the affected pages, creating a continuous threat vector. This type of vulnerability is particularly concerning in web applications where users may have elevated privileges or access to sensitive data, as it could enable attackers to escalate their privileges or access restricted functionality. The impact is further amplified by the fact that such vulnerabilities often go undetected for extended periods, allowing attackers to maintain persistent access to the compromised systems.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must address both immediate remediation and long-term prevention measures to ensure comprehensive protection against similar issues. The primary and most critical mitigation is upgrading to Cooked Pro version 1.8.0 or later, which contains the necessary patches and fixes for the XSS vulnerability. Organizations should also implement robust input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application's codebase, ensuring that all user-supplied data is properly sanitized before being processed or displayed. This includes implementing proper HTML escaping, JavaScript escaping, and context-appropriate encoding for different data types and output contexts. Additional protective measures include implementing Content Security Policy headers to limit script execution, employing web application firewalls to detect and block malicious payloads, and conducting regular security assessments including automated scanning and manual penetration testing. Organizations should also establish secure coding practices and provide security training to developers to prevent similar vulnerabilities from being introduced during the software development lifecycle. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of following security best practices such as those outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and the principle of defense in depth, ensuring that multiple layers of protection are implemented to safeguard against various attack vectors.