CVE-2024-9111 in Product Designer Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 11/21/2024
The Product Designer plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via SVG File uploads in all versions up to, and including, 1.0.35 due to insufficient input sanitization and output escaping. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Author-level access and above, to inject arbitrary web scripts in pages that will execute whenever a user accesses the SVG file.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/23/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-9111 affects the Product Designer plugin for WordPress, specifically targeting versions up to and including 1.0.35. This represents a critical security flaw that exploits the plugin's handling of SVG file uploads, creating a persistent cross-site scripting attack vector that can compromise user sessions and execute malicious code within the context of affected websites. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it leverages the trusted upload functionality of a WordPress plugin, allowing attackers to embed malicious scripts directly into SVG files that are then served to other users.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input sanitization and output escaping mechanisms within the plugin's file upload processing system. When users upload SVG files through the Product Designer plugin, the system fails to properly validate or sanitize the content of these files, allowing potentially malicious SVG code containing embedded JavaScript to be stored on the server. This insufficient sanitization creates a stored XSS vulnerability where the malicious code becomes persistent within the plugin's file handling system and executes whenever the SVG file is accessed by other users. The vulnerability specifically affects authenticated users with Author-level permissions or higher, making it particularly dangerous in environments where multiple users have varying permission levels.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it provides attackers with the ability to perform session hijacking, steal user credentials, manipulate website content, and potentially escalate their privileges within the WordPress environment. When an authenticated user accesses an SVG file containing malicious code, the script executes in their browser context, potentially allowing attackers to establish persistent access to the compromised site. This vulnerability can be exploited to target administrators, editors, or authors who view the SVG files, creating a chain reaction of potential compromise throughout the WordPress installation. The stored nature of the vulnerability means that once an attacker successfully uploads malicious content, it remains active until manually removed by administrators, creating an ongoing threat to all users who access the affected files.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which describes Cross-Site Scripting flaws in web applications, and represents a specific implementation of stored XSS where user-supplied data is not properly sanitized before being stored and served back to other users. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving code injection and privilege escalation, potentially enabling attackers to move laterally within the WordPress environment and establish persistent access. Organizations should immediately implement mitigation strategies including updating to the latest version of the Product Designer plugin, implementing strict file upload validation, and monitoring user activity for suspicious file uploads. Additionally, administrators should consider implementing web application firewalls, restricting upload permissions to the minimum required level, and conducting regular security audits of plugin installations to prevent exploitation of similar vulnerabilities. The vulnerability also underscores the importance of proper input validation and output escaping practices in web applications, particularly when handling user-supplied content that will be rendered in web browsers.