CVE-2024-5879 in HubSpot Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 08/30/2024
The HubSpot – CRM, Email Marketing, Live Chat, Forms & Analytics plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via the 'url' attribute of the HubSpot Meeting Widget in all versions up to, and including, 11.1.22 due to insufficient input sanitization and output escaping. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Contributor-level access and above, to inject arbitrary web scripts in pages that will execute whenever a user accesses an injected page.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/11/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-5879 affects the HubSpot plugin for WordPress, specifically targeting the HubSpot Meeting Widget functionality. This plugin serves as a comprehensive customer relationship management and marketing automation tool that integrates various HubSpot services into WordPress websites. The affected version range includes all releases up to and including 11.1.22, representing a significant portion of the plugin's user base that remains exposed to this security flaw.
The technical flaw resides in the improper handling of the 'url' attribute within the HubSpot Meeting Widget component. When administrators or authorized users configure this widget, the plugin fails to adequately sanitize user-supplied input before storing it in the WordPress database. This insufficient input sanitization creates a persistent cross-site scripting vulnerability where malicious scripts can be stored and executed whenever the affected page is accessed. The vulnerability specifically impacts the widget's URL parameter processing, which does not employ proper output escaping mechanisms to prevent script execution in the browser context.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is particularly concerning given the privilege requirements needed to exploit it. Attackers must possess Contributor-level access or higher within the WordPress environment to successfully inject malicious scripts, which typically includes users who can publish posts and pages. However, this access level is often granted to content editors, marketers, or other trusted personnel who may not be fully aware of the security implications of their actions. When exploited, the stored XSS vulnerability allows attackers to execute arbitrary web scripts in the context of any user who visits pages containing the maliciously injected content, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or further exploitation of the compromised WordPress installation.
The vulnerability maps directly to CWE-79 which describes Cross-Site Scripting flaws, specifically the stored variant where malicious scripts are permanently stored on the target server. From an adversarial perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for initial access through spearphishing attachments or links, and T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter execution. The attack surface is particularly broad as the vulnerability affects any WordPress site utilizing the HubSpot plugin with the meeting widget functionality, potentially impacting thousands of websites across various industries. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including plugin updates to versions that address the vulnerability, user access reviews to limit Contributor privileges, and input validation monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts.
Mitigation strategies should include immediate patching of the HubSpot plugin to the latest version that contains the necessary security fixes, which typically involve implementing proper input sanitization routines and output escaping mechanisms for all user-supplied parameters. Additionally, administrators should conduct comprehensive access reviews to ensure that only trusted users possess Contributor-level permissions or higher, particularly for users who may interact with the HubSpot widget configuration interface. Network monitoring should be enhanced to detect potential exploitation attempts through unusual requests containing script tags or other malicious payloads. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide an additional layer of protection by restricting the sources from which scripts can be executed on the affected websites, though this should complement rather than replace proper input validation and sanitization measures.