CVE-2024-8741 in Beam me up Scotty Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 09/25/2024
The Beam me up Scotty – Back to Top Button plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Reflected Cross-Site Scripting due to the use of add_query_arg without appropriate escaping on the URL in all versions up to, and including, 1.0.21. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to inject arbitrary web scripts in pages that execute if they can successfully trick a user into performing an action such as clicking on a link.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/09/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-8741 affects the Beam me up Scotty – Back to Top Button plugin for WordPress, specifically impacting versions up to and including 1.0.21. This issue represents a critical security flaw that undermines the integrity of web applications by enabling malicious actors to inject harmful scripts into web pages. The vulnerability stems from improper handling of URL parameters within the plugin's codebase, creating an avenue for attackers to exploit the reflected cross-site scripting mechanism. The affected plugin, designed to provide users with a back-to-top functionality on WordPress websites, inadvertently creates a security exposure that could compromise the browsing experience of website visitors.
The technical flaw manifests in the plugin's implementation of the add_query_arg function, which is a WordPress utility for constructing URLs with query parameters. When this function processes user-supplied input without proper sanitization or escaping, it creates an opportunity for attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code into URLs that are subsequently reflected back to users. This particular vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, specifically classified as reflected XSS, where malicious scripts are reflected off a web server back to a user's browser. The vulnerability occurs because the plugin fails to apply appropriate output escaping mechanisms before incorporating user input into URL construction, allowing attackers to craft malicious URLs that when clicked, execute arbitrary scripts in the victim's browser context.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it enables attackers to perform a range of malicious activities through the compromised website. Unauthenticated attackers can exploit this weakness to execute scripts that may steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious websites, perform actions on behalf of authenticated users, or even install malware on visitors' systems. The reflected nature of this vulnerability means that the malicious payload must be delivered through a crafted URL that users must actively click to trigger execution, making it a social engineering vector that requires user interaction but remains highly effective. This vulnerability is particularly concerning for WordPress websites that rely on the affected plugin, as it can potentially affect thousands of sites that have not yet updated to patched versions.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2024-8741 primarily focus on immediate remediation through plugin updates, as developers have released patches to address the reflected XSS vulnerability. Website administrators should prioritize updating to the latest available version of the Beam me up Scotty – Back to Top Button plugin to eliminate the security risk. In addition to updating, implementing proper input validation and output escaping mechanisms within the plugin codebase would provide additional protection against similar vulnerabilities. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this type of vulnerability under T1203 - Exploitation for Client Execution, highlighting the importance of protecting against client-side exploitation techniques that leverage web application vulnerabilities. Organizations should also consider implementing Content Security Policy (CSP) headers as an additional defense-in-depth measure, though this cannot fully compensate for the underlying code flaw. Regular security auditing of WordPress plugins and maintaining an updated inventory of installed plugins remains crucial for preventing exploitation of such vulnerabilities in the broader WordPress ecosystem.