CVE-2024-53716 in wp Auto Top Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 12/02/2024
Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in overtrue wp auto top allows Stored XSS.This issue affects wp auto top: from n/a through 2.9.3.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/22/2025
The CVE-2024-53716 vulnerability represents a critical security flaw in the wp auto top WordPress plugin that demonstrates the dangerous intersection of cross-site request forgery and stored cross-site scripting attacks. This vulnerability exists within version ranges from an unspecified starting point through version 2.9.3 of the plugin, creating a significant risk for WordPress sites that rely on this tool for managing top posts or featured content. The flaw enables attackers to exploit the plugin's insufficient input validation and output escaping mechanisms to execute malicious scripts in the context of authenticated users.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the plugin's failure to properly validate and sanitize user-supplied data before storing it in the WordPress database. When users interact with the plugin's administrative interface or submission forms, the system does not adequately verify the authenticity of requests or sanitize the content being stored. This creates an environment where malicious actors can inject malicious JavaScript code through CSRF vectors that ultimately gets stored in the database and executed when other users view the affected content. The vulnerability operates under CWE-352 which specifically addresses cross-site request forgery flaws, while simultaneously enabling CWE-79 which covers stored cross-site scripting vulnerabilities.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data corruption or unauthorized access. Attackers can leverage this flaw to execute arbitrary JavaScript code in the browsers of authenticated users, potentially leading to complete account compromise, data exfiltration, or the establishment of backdoors within the WordPress environment. The stored nature of the XSS vulnerability means that once malicious code is injected, it persists in the database and affects all users who view the compromised content, making the attack vector particularly dangerous for sites with high user interaction or content management. This vulnerability directly aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 which covers credential harvesting through phishing, as attackers could harvest session cookies or other sensitive information through the executed malicious scripts.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate patching of the wp auto top plugin to version 2.9.4 or later, which addresses the identified CSRF and XSS flaws through proper input validation and output sanitization. Administrators should also implement additional security measures including the use of Content Security Policy headers to limit script execution, regular security audits of plugin installations, and monitoring for unusual administrative activities. The WordPress security team recommends that all users immediately update their installations and conduct thorough security assessments of their WordPress environments. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious requests that attempt to exploit CSRF vectors targeting this specific plugin vulnerability.