CVE-2024-53742 in Multilevel Referral Affiliate Plugin for WooCommerce
Summary
by MITRE • 12/02/2024
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') vulnerability in Prism I.T. Systems Multilevel Referral Affiliate Plugin for WooCommerce allows Reflected XSS.This issue affects Multilevel Referral Affiliate Plugin for WooCommerce: from n/a through 2.27.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/22/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-53742 represents a critical cross-site scripting weakness within the Prism I.T. Systems Multilevel Referral Affiliate Plugin for WooCommerce, specifically targeting version ranges from an unspecified initial point through version 2.27. This reflected cross-site scripting flaw arises from inadequate input sanitization during web page generation processes, creating a persistent security risk that can be exploited by malicious actors to inject and execute arbitrary JavaScript code within the context of a victim's browser session. The vulnerability manifests when user-supplied input is directly incorporated into dynamically generated web content without proper validation or encoding mechanisms, allowing attackers to craft malicious payloads that can be executed when other users view affected pages.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the plugin's failure to properly neutralize user input before incorporating it into HTML output streams, which aligns with CWE-79 - Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation. This weakness enables attackers to inject malicious scripts through parameters or input fields that are not adequately sanitized, leading to potential session hijacking, data theft, or unauthorized actions performed on behalf of authenticated users. The reflected nature of this XSS vulnerability means that the malicious payload must be crafted specifically for a particular request and delivered through external means such as email links or malicious websites, making it particularly dangerous in targeted attack scenarios where social engineering plays a significant role.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable sophisticated attacks including credential theft, session manipulation, and redirection to malicious sites. Attackers can exploit this weakness to steal administrator credentials, modify plugin configurations, or inject malicious content that persists across multiple user sessions. The vulnerability affects the entire WooCommerce ecosystem where the plugin is installed, potentially compromising the integrity of affiliate tracking data, user information, and financial transactions. This risk is exacerbated by the fact that the vulnerability exists in a plugin that handles referral and affiliate marketing functionality, which often involves sensitive user data and financial information.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2024-53742 should prioritize immediate patching of the affected plugin to version 2.28 or later, as this represents the most effective defense against the identified reflected XSS vulnerability. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout their web applications, ensuring that all user-supplied data is properly sanitized before being rendered in HTML contexts. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls and content security policies can provide additional defense-in-depth measures, though these should not replace proper code-level fixes. Security teams should also conduct thorough penetration testing and vulnerability assessments to identify any other potential XSS vulnerabilities within the WooCommerce platform and associated plugins, as this attack vector remains one of the most prevalent and dangerous classes of web application flaws. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of following secure coding practices and implementing proper input validation as outlined in the OWASP Top Ten security framework, particularly addressing the persistent threat of cross-site scripting attacks that continue to plague web applications globally.