CVE-2024-56232 in WP Nice Loader Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 12/31/2024
Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in Alexander Volkov WP Nice Loader allows Stored XSS.This issue affects WP Nice Loader: from n/a through 0.1.0.4.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/16/2025
The CVE-2024-56232 vulnerability represents a critical security flaw in the WP Nice Loader plugin for WordPress, specifically affecting versions ranging from the initial release through 0.1.0.4. This vulnerability demonstrates a dangerous combination of cross-site request forgery and stored cross-site scripting flaws that together create a severe attack vector for malicious actors targeting WordPress installations. The issue arises from insufficient validation and sanitization of user inputs within the plugin's administrative interfaces, creating opportunities for attackers to inject malicious code that persists in the application's database.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate CSRF token validation mechanisms within the plugin's form processing functionality. When administrators or authenticated users interact with the plugin's administrative panels, the system fails to properly verify the authenticity of requests, allowing attackers to craft malicious requests that appear legitimate. This CSRF weakness becomes particularly dangerous when combined with the stored XSS capability, as the malicious payloads can be injected into the application's data storage and subsequently executed whenever the affected pages are rendered to other users. The vulnerability falls under CWE-352, which specifically addresses cross-site request forgery issues, while also manifesting characteristics of CWE-79, the standard classification for cross-site scripting vulnerabilities.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple data theft or defacement scenarios. Attackers can leverage this flaw to establish persistent backdoors within WordPress installations, potentially gaining unauthorized access to sensitive administrative functions. The stored nature of the XSS payload means that even users who do not actively interact with the malicious content can be compromised when they view pages containing the injected code. This creates a particularly dangerous situation for WordPress sites that rely heavily on user-generated content or have multiple administrative users with varying privilege levels. The vulnerability essentially allows attackers to execute arbitrary JavaScript code in the context of any user who views the affected pages, potentially leading to complete system compromise.
Organizations and WordPress administrators should immediately implement mitigations including updating to the latest available version of the WP Nice Loader plugin, which should contain proper CSRF token validation and input sanitization measures. The recommended approach involves verifying that all administrative forms include robust anti-CSRF tokens that are properly validated server-side before processing any user input. Additionally, implementing Content Security Policy headers can provide an additional layer of protection against XSS execution, while regular security audits of installed plugins should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving credential access through web application exploitation and privilege escalation through persistent backdoor establishment. Security teams should also consider implementing web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious request patterns associated with CSRF attacks, while monitoring for unusual administrative activity that might indicate successful exploitation of this vulnerability.