CVE-2024-50541 in Advanced Control Manager Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 11/19/2024
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') vulnerability in Enea Overclokk Advanced Control Manager for WordPress by ItalyStrap allows Stored XSS.This issue affects Advanced Control Manager for WordPress by ItalyStrap: from n/a through 2.16.0.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/25/2025
The CVE-2024-50541 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw in the Enea Overclokk Advanced Control Manager plugin for WordPress, specifically impacting versions up to and including 2.16.0. 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 an environment where malicious scripts can be injected and executed within the context of other users' browsers. The vulnerability is classified as stored XSS because the malicious payload is permanently stored on the server and then served to other users when they access affected pages, making it particularly dangerous for widespread impact.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the plugin's handling of user input within its web page generation processes. Attackers can craft malicious input that gets stored in the plugin's database or configuration files, which are then rendered in subsequent web pages without proper sanitization or encoding. This allows attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code that executes in the browsers of unsuspecting users who view the affected content. The vulnerability specifically affects the Advanced Control Manager plugin by ItalyStrap, which is designed to provide enhanced control and management capabilities for WordPress sites, making it a prime target for attackers seeking to compromise WordPress installations.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to WordPress site administrators and their users. The stored nature of the XSS attack means that once an attacker successfully injects malicious code, it can affect multiple users over an extended period without requiring repeated exploitation attempts. The impact extends beyond simple data theft or defacement, as attackers can potentially hijack user sessions, redirect traffic to malicious sites, or use the compromised sites as launching points for further attacks within the network. The vulnerability affects the plugin's configuration management features, which are typically accessed by administrators with elevated privileges, potentially allowing attackers to escalate their privileges or gain deeper access to the WordPress installation. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1059.007 (Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript) and T1531 (Account Access Removal) as attackers can leverage the XSS to execute malicious scripts and potentially manipulate user accounts.
The mitigation strategies for CVE-2024-50541 should focus on immediate remediation and long-term defensive measures. The most critical action is to update the Enea Overclokk Advanced Control Manager plugin to a version that addresses this vulnerability, as the vendor has likely released a patched version. In the interim, administrators should implement input validation and output encoding measures within their WordPress installations, ensuring that all user-provided data is properly sanitized before being stored or displayed. The principle of least privilege should be enforced by limiting administrative access to the plugin's configuration pages, and regular security monitoring should be implemented to detect any unauthorized modifications. Additionally, implementing Content Security Policy headers and using security plugins that provide additional XSS protection can provide defense-in-depth measures. Organizations should also conduct thorough security assessments of their WordPress installations to identify any other potentially vulnerable plugins or themes that may be susceptible to similar attacks. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and implementing comprehensive input validation across all web application components, as even minor flaws in plugin development can create significant security risks for entire WordPress installations.