CVE-2024-54331 in I Plant A Tree Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 12/16/2024
Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in Micha I Plant A Tree allows Stored XSS.This issue affects I Plant A Tree: from n/a through 1.7.3.
Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/17/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-54331 represents a critical security flaw in the Micha I Plant A Tree plugin, specifically within the I Plant A Tree platform version range from an unspecified initial version through 1.7.3. This vulnerability manifests as a cross-site request forgery condition that enables stored cross-site scripting attacks, creating a dangerous chain of exploitation opportunities for malicious actors targeting WordPress environments. The flaw resides in the plugin's insufficient validation and sanitization mechanisms for user-supplied input, particularly within the administrative interfaces where users can submit content that gets stored in the database and subsequently reflected in web pages without proper security measures.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate CSRF token validation mechanisms combined with insufficient output encoding practices. When administrators or authenticated users interact with the plugin's administrative features, the system fails to properly verify that requests originate from legitimate sources within the same session. This weakness allows attackers to craft malicious requests that can be executed by authenticated users without their knowledge or consent. The stored XSS component emerges when user input containing malicious scripts is persisted in the database and later rendered in subsequent page views, enabling attackers to execute arbitrary JavaScript code in the context of the victim's browser session. This vulnerability operates under the CWE-352 classification for Cross-Site Request Forgery and CWE-79 for Cross-Site Scripting, creating a compound threat that leverages both attack vectors simultaneously.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or defacement, as it provides attackers with persistent access to compromised systems through stored malicious scripts that can harvest session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or perform administrative actions on behalf of authenticated users. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability to establish backdoors, modify plugin configurations, or even escalate privileges within the WordPress environment. The stored nature of the XSS payload means that the malicious code executes automatically whenever affected pages are loaded, making detection and remediation particularly challenging. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for Phishing and T1071.001 for Application Layer Protocol, as it enables attackers to craft malicious web content that can be delivered to victims through various attack vectors.
Organizations utilizing the Micha I Plant A Tree plugin in affected versions face significant risks including potential data breaches, unauthorized administrative access, and compromise of user credentials. The vulnerability affects not only the plugin's core functionality but also the broader WordPress ecosystem, as successful exploitation can lead to complete system compromise. Recommended mitigations include immediate upgrading to the latest version of the plugin where the CSRF and XSS vulnerabilities have been addressed, implementing proper CSRF token validation mechanisms, and ensuring all user input is properly sanitized and encoded before storage and rendering. Security teams should also consider implementing content security policies and monitoring for suspicious administrative activities. Additionally, administrators should conduct thorough security audits of all installed plugins and ensure that the WordPress core and all plugins remain updated with the latest security patches to prevent exploitation of similar vulnerabilities in the future.