CVE-2024-51833 in Easy Social Sharebar Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 11/19/2024
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') vulnerability in Noman Akhtar Easy Social Sharebar allows Stored XSS.This issue affects Easy Social Sharebar: from n/a through 1.0.0.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/24/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-51833 represents a critical cross-site scripting weakness within the Easy Social Sharebar plugin developed by Noman Akhtar. This stored XSS vulnerability occurs during the web page generation process when user input is inadequately sanitized or escaped before being rendered in HTML output. The flaw allows attackers to inject malicious scripts that persist in the application's database and execute whenever affected pages are loaded by other users. The vulnerability specifically impacts versions of the plugin from an unspecified starting point through version 1.0.0, indicating a potential regression or design flaw that has persisted across multiple releases.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper input validation and output encoding practices within the plugin's codebase. When users submit content through the social sharing bar functionality, the plugin fails to properly neutralize potentially malicious input before storing it in the database. This stored data is then retrieved and displayed on subsequent page loads without adequate sanitization, creating a persistent vector for XSS attacks. The vulnerability maps to CWE-79 which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting flaws in web applications. The attack surface is particularly concerning as it allows for long-term persistence of malicious code execution within the targeted WordPress environment, potentially enabling session hijacking, credential theft, or further exploitation of the compromised system.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it provides attackers with the capability to manipulate user sessions and potentially escalate privileges within the WordPress environment. Attackers can craft malicious payloads that exploit the stored XSS to perform actions such as stealing administrator cookies, modifying content, or redirecting users to malicious domains. The persistent nature of the vulnerability means that once exploited, the malicious scripts will continue to execute for all users who view affected pages, making this a particularly dangerous flaw from a security perspective. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1531 which focuses on "Use of Web Shell" and T1059.007 which covers "Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript" in the context of web-based attack vectors.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate patching of the Easy Social Sharebar plugin to the latest version that addresses the XSS flaw. System administrators should implement proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application, ensuring that all user-supplied data is properly sanitized before storage or rendering. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide additional protection against XSS attacks by restricting script execution from untrusted sources. Regular security audits and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar input handling issues in other plugins or custom code. Additionally, monitoring for unusual script execution patterns or unauthorized modifications to website content can help detect exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and regular vulnerability scanning to detect and prevent exploitation of similar XSS vulnerabilities across their web applications.