CVE-2024-56022 in Preloader Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 01/02/2025
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') vulnerability in WordPress Monsters Preloader by WordPress Monsters allows Reflected XSS.This issue affects Preloader by WordPress Monsters: from n/a through 1.2.3.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/16/2025
The CVE-2024-56022 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw in the WordPress Monsters Preloader plugin, specifically targeting versions through 1.2.3. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is one of the most prevalent and dangerous web application security weaknesses. The issue manifests as a reflected XSS vulnerability, meaning that malicious input is immediately reflected back to users without proper sanitization or encoding, creating an avenue for attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users.
The technical flaw occurs during the web page generation process within the WordPress Monsters Preloader plugin where input parameters are not properly neutralized before being rendered in HTML output. This failure to sanitize user-supplied data creates a persistent vulnerability that allows attackers to craft malicious URLs containing script payloads that execute in the context of other users' browsers. The reflected nature of this vulnerability means that the malicious script is delivered and executed through user interaction with a specially crafted link, making it particularly insidious as it can be easily propagated through phishing campaigns or social engineering tactics.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it provides attackers with the ability to hijack user sessions, steal sensitive information, manipulate website content, and potentially escalate privileges within the affected WordPress environment. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to perform session hijacking, deface websites, redirect users to malicious sites, or extract cookies and other sensitive data from authenticated users. The vulnerability affects all users of the affected plugin versions, making it particularly dangerous in environments where multiple users interact with the same WordPress installation, and the attack surface expands significantly when considering that WordPress is one of the most widely used content management systems globally.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should prioritize immediate patching of the affected plugin to version 1.2.4 or later, which contains the necessary security fixes. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms to prevent similar issues in other custom or third-party plugins. The mitigation approach aligns with ATT&CK technique T1213.002 for credential access and T1566.001 for social engineering, emphasizing the importance of input sanitization as a fundamental security control. Network defenders should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious script payloads, while security monitoring systems should be configured to identify anomalous traffic patterns associated with XSS attempts. Additionally, regular security audits of WordPress installations, including thorough plugin and theme vulnerability assessments, should be conducted to identify and remediate similar issues before they can be exploited by malicious actors.