CVE-2024-50415 in Ads.txt & App-ads.txt Manager Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 10/29/2024
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') vulnerability in Pagup Ads.txt & App-ads.txt Manager for WordPress app-ads-txt allows Stored XSS.This issue affects Ads.txt & App-ads.txt Manager for WordPress: from n/a through <= 1.1.7.1.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/07/2026
The CVE-2024-50415 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw in the Ads.txt & App-ads.txt Manager for WordPress plugin, specifically affecting versions through 1.1.7.1. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is one of the most prevalent and dangerous web application security flaws. The issue stems from improper neutralization of input during web page generation, creating a persistent XSS vector that allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into the application's output. The vulnerability specifically impacts the plugin's handling of user-supplied data within the ads.txt and app-ads.txt management interfaces, where input validation and output sanitization mechanisms fail to properly escape or filter malicious content. This weakness enables attackers to store malicious scripts that execute in the context of other users' browsers when they view the affected pages, making it particularly dangerous in multi-user environments where administrators and regular users may interact with the same vulnerable interface.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can be leveraged for session hijacking, credential theft, and redirection to malicious sites. Attackers can craft malicious input that gets stored in the plugin's database and subsequently rendered in web pages without proper sanitization, creating a persistent threat that affects all users who access the affected WordPress site. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates as a stored XSS attack, meaning the malicious payload remains active even after the initial injection, continuously affecting users who visit pages containing the compromised content. This persistent nature aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for initial access through malicious files and T1588.001 for resource development, as attackers can establish long-term presence through this vector. The flaw affects the plugin's web page generation process, where user inputs are not properly escaped before being rendered in HTML contexts, creating opportunities for attackers to inject scripts that can access cookies, local storage, and other sensitive browser data.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2024-50415 should prioritize immediate plugin updates to the latest available version, as vendors typically release patches that implement proper input validation and output escaping mechanisms. Organizations should implement comprehensive input sanitization practices that follow the OWASP Secure Coding Practices, ensuring all user-supplied data is properly escaped before being rendered in HTML contexts. The remediation process must include thorough code review of the plugin's handling of ads.txt and app-ads.txt data, with particular attention to how user inputs are processed and stored in the database. Security teams should also consider implementing Content Security Policy (CSP) headers as an additional defensive measure, which can prevent execution of unauthorized scripts even if the XSS vulnerability is exploited. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls can provide additional layers of defense, though they should not be relied upon as the sole mitigation. Regular security audits of WordPress plugins and themes remain essential, as this vulnerability demonstrates the ongoing need for vigilance in plugin security. The fix should implement proper HTML escaping using WordPress's built-in esc_html() or esc_attr() functions, along with input validation that ensures all user-supplied content conforms to expected formats and does not contain potentially dangerous script tags or event handlers. Organizations should also conduct thorough penetration testing to verify that the patched version properly addresses the vulnerability and does not introduce new security issues.