CVE-2024-9704 in Social Sharing Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 10/12/2024
The Social Sharing (by Danny) plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via the plugin's 'dvk_social_sharing' shortcode in all versions up to, and including, 1.3.7 due to insufficient input sanitization and output escaping on user supplied attributes. 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 • 03/06/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-9704 affects the Social Sharing plugin for WordPress, specifically targeting version 1.3.7 and earlier. This plugin enables website administrators to add social sharing buttons to their content, but the implementation contains a critical security flaw that allows for stored cross-site scripting attacks. The vulnerability exists within the dvk_social_sharing shortcode functionality where user-supplied attributes are not properly sanitized or escaped before being rendered in web pages. This flaw creates a persistent security risk that can be exploited by authenticated attackers who possess contributor-level access or higher privileges within the WordPress environment.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output escaping mechanisms within the plugin's codebase. When administrators or users with appropriate permissions create or modify content using the affected shortcode, they can inject malicious script code through the shortcode attributes. These scripts are then stored within the WordPress database and executed whenever any user accesses pages containing the compromised shortcode, making this a classic stored XSS vulnerability. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and specifically targets the plugin's handling of user input through the shortcode interface, which is a common attack vector in web applications where user-generated content is processed and displayed.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant for WordPress sites using the affected plugin, as it provides attackers with a persistent means of executing malicious code within the context of the victim's browser. An attacker with contributor-level access can inject scripts that might steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of users, or even escalate privileges within the WordPress environment. The vulnerability affects all users who can access pages containing the compromised shortcode, potentially impacting thousands of site visitors depending on the site's traffic. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous as it can be exploited without requiring additional authentication or complex attack vectors, and the malicious scripts execute automatically when users view affected content.
Security professionals should immediately update to the latest version of the Social Sharing plugin to remediate this vulnerability, as no patches or workarounds are available for the affected versions. Organizations should also implement additional monitoring to detect unauthorized shortcode modifications and consider restricting contributor-level access to prevent unauthorized users from injecting malicious content. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which describes cross-site scripting flaws, and represents a specific instance of the broader ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for initial access through malicious content. Additionally, this vulnerability demonstrates poor input sanitization practices that are commonly addressed by implementing proper output escaping, input validation, and following secure coding practices recommended by OWASP and similar security organizations.