CVE-2024-51611 in WP Feature Box Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 11/09/2024
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation (XSS or 'Cross-site Scripting') vulnerability in Miguel Peixe WP Feature Box allows Stored XSS.This issue affects WP Feature Box: from n/a through 0.1.3.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/28/2025
This vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw in the WP Feature Box plugin for WordPress systems, specifically targeting version ranges from unspecified initial versions through 0.1.3. The issue falls under the category of improper input neutralization during web page generation, creating an environment where malicious scripts can be persistently injected and executed within user browsers. The vulnerability enables stored XSS attacks, meaning that malicious payloads can be permanently stored on the server and subsequently delivered to unsuspecting users whenever they access affected pages. This particular weakness allows attackers to exploit the plugin's failure to properly sanitize user-supplied input before incorporating it into dynamically generated web content, creating a persistent security risk for WordPress installations using this specific plugin version.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the WP Feature Box plugin's codebase. When users provide input through plugin interfaces or administrative panels, the system fails to properly sanitize or escape this data before rendering it in HTML contexts. This failure creates a pathway for attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code that gets stored in the database and executed whenever affected pages are rendered for legitimate users. The vulnerability specifically impacts the plugin's web page generation process where user content is incorporated into HTML output without proper security measures to prevent script injection. According to CWE classification, this represents a variant of CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, which is a fundamental weakness in web application security that has been consistently identified as one of the most prevalent and dangerous vulnerabilities in web applications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to perform a wide range of malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, data exfiltration, and redirection to malicious sites. When exploited, the stored XSS vulnerability allows attackers to establish persistent access to user sessions, potentially compromising administrator accounts and gaining full control over affected WordPress installations. The threat is particularly severe because the vulnerability affects the plugin's core functionality where user input is processed and displayed, creating multiple attack vectors for different user roles. Attackers can craft malicious payloads that exploit the vulnerability through various entry points within the plugin's administrative interface or frontend components, making it difficult to completely mitigate without proper input validation mechanisms.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate action from WordPress administrators to update to patched versions of the WP Feature Box plugin where available. The primary defense mechanism involves implementing proper input sanitization and output encoding throughout the plugin's codebase, ensuring that all user-supplied content is properly escaped before being incorporated into HTML contexts. Security practitioners should implement Content Security Policy (CSP) headers as an additional layer of protection against XSS attacks, though this approach alone cannot fully address the root cause of the vulnerability. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls that can detect and block known XSS patterns, while maintaining comprehensive monitoring of plugin usage and user activity for signs of exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and control through scripting, as attackers can use the stored XSS to establish persistent command and control channels within compromised user sessions, making proper patch management and input validation critical components of the overall security posture.
The broader implications of this vulnerability highlight the critical importance of proper input validation in web application development and the necessity of regular security assessments of third-party plugins. WordPress administrators should implement comprehensive security policies that include regular plugin audits, automated vulnerability scanning, and strict update procedures to prevent exploitation of known vulnerabilities. The incident also underscores the need for developers to follow secure coding practices that include input validation, output encoding, and proper error handling to prevent similar issues in the future. Organizations relying on WordPress platforms must maintain awareness of plugin security advisories and implement proactive security measures to protect against the exploitation of vulnerabilities like CVE-2024-51611 that can persistently compromise user sessions and system integrity through stored cross-site scripting attacks.