CVE-2024-51694 in Geotagged Media Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 11/09/2024
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation (XSS or 'Cross-site Scripting') vulnerability in Digfish Geotagged Media allows Reflected XSS.This issue affects Geotagged Media: from n/a through 0.3.0.
If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/28/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-51694 represents a critical cross-site scripting weakness within the Digfish Geotagged Media plugin, specifically targeting the reflected variant of this pervasive web security flaw. This issue manifests during the web page generation process where user input fails to undergo proper sanitization before being rendered back to users, creating an exploitable vector for malicious actors to inject harmful scripts into web applications. The vulnerability affects all versions of the Geotagged Media plugin from the initial release through version 0.3.0, indicating a prolonged period during which systems remained susceptible to this particular form of attack. The reflected XSS nature means that malicious scripts are executed in the victim's browser through crafted input that gets immediately reflected back in the application's response, without being stored on the server.
The technical flaw stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding practices within the plugin's web page generation logic. When user-provided parameters are directly incorporated into HTML responses without proper sanitization or encoding, attackers can inject malicious JavaScript code that executes in the context of other users' browsers. This vulnerability falls under CWE-79 which specifically addresses Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, making it a classic example of how insufficient data validation can lead to severe security consequences. The attack typically involves crafting malicious URLs or form inputs that, when processed by the vulnerable plugin, result in the injection of script tags or other malicious content that gets executed when other users view the affected pages.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or session hijacking, as reflected XSS attacks can enable more sophisticated exploitation techniques including credential harvesting, redirection to malicious sites, and the execution of arbitrary commands within users' browser contexts. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to impersonate legitimate users, access sensitive data, or manipulate the application's functionality in ways that compromise the integrity of the entire system. The reflected nature of the attack means that users must be tricked into clicking malicious links or visiting compromised pages, making it particularly dangerous in social engineering contexts where users might be诱导 into interacting with malicious content. This vulnerability directly aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 which covers Phishing and specifically targets the initial access phase of the attack lifecycle.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2024-51694 should prioritize immediate patching of the Geotagged Media plugin to the latest version that addresses this vulnerability, as this represents the most effective defense against exploitation. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout their web applications, ensuring that all user-provided data is properly sanitized before being rendered in HTML contexts. Security measures should include the implementation of Content Security Policy headers to prevent the execution of unauthorized scripts, along with regular security auditing of web applications to identify similar vulnerabilities. Additionally, user education and awareness programs should be strengthened to help users recognize potentially malicious links and inputs, while network monitoring systems should be configured to detect and alert on suspicious traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability also underscores the importance of maintaining up-to-date security practices and regularly reviewing plugin and software components for known security issues as outlined in industry best practices for web application security management.