CVE-2024-51673 in HT Politic Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 11/09/2024
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation (XSS or 'Cross-site Scripting') vulnerability in HasThemes HT Politic allows DOM-Based XSS.This issue affects HT Politic: from n/a through 2.4.4.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/26/2026
This vulnerability represents a critical security flaw in the HasThemes HT Politic WordPress theme that enables malicious actors to execute arbitrary JavaScript code within the context of a victim's browser through DOM-based cross-site scripting attacks. The vulnerability stems from improper input sanitization during web page generation processes where user-supplied data is not adequately neutralized before being rendered in the browser environment. This specific weakness allows attackers to inject malicious scripts that can manipulate the Document Object Model and execute unauthorized actions on behalf of authenticated users.
The technical implementation of this DOM-based XSS vulnerability occurs when the theme fails to properly validate and sanitize input parameters that are subsequently processed and reflected within the web page's DOM structure. Attackers can exploit this by crafting malicious URLs containing script payloads that, when visited by unsuspecting users, execute within the victim's browser context. The vulnerability affects all versions of the HT Politic theme from the initial release through version 2.4.4, indicating a persistent flaw that has not been adequately addressed in the codebase. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-79 which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting flaws, with the DOM-based variant being particularly concerning as it occurs in the client-side environment without server-side processing.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or session hijacking to potentially enable complete compromise of user accounts and unauthorized administrative actions. An attacker could leverage this vulnerability to inject malicious scripts that redirect users to phishing sites, steal cookies and session tokens, or even modify the content of web pages in real-time. The persistent nature of DOM-based XSS means that the vulnerability remains active as long as the vulnerable theme version is installed, regardless of server-side configurations or network security controls. This makes the attack surface particularly dangerous in environments where users frequently visit multiple websites or where the theme is used on high-traffic sites with many authenticated users.
Mitigation strategies should prioritize immediate remediation through theme updates to version 2.4.5 or later where the vulnerability has been patched. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms that sanitize all user-supplied data before it is processed or rendered in web pages. Security headers such as Content Security Policy should be implemented to limit script execution and prevent unauthorized code injection. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of the web application stack. Additionally, user education regarding suspicious links and website modifications can help reduce the success rate of exploitation attempts. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 which covers social engineering tactics, specifically focusing on the initial access phase where attackers manipulate users into executing malicious code through crafted web content. The remediation process should include thorough code review of all input handling mechanisms and implementation of automated security scanning tools to detect similar issues in other themes or plugins within the WordPress ecosystem.