Hello everyone! Today we're going to discuss a new vulnerability - CVE-2024-3917 - discovered in the popular WordPress plugin, Pet Manager, specifically in versions prior to or including 1.4. This vulnerability is classified as Reflected Cross-Site Scripting (XSS). In this post, we'll dive into the details of this exploit, including code snippets and original references. We'll also discuss how it could impact high privilege users, such as admins.

What is Pet Manager WordPress Plugin?

The Pet Manager WordPress plugin lets users add pet listings to their website, as well as manage pets, owners, and various relevant information. With over 3,000+ active installations, this plugin is popular among pet-related websites, shelters, and pet adoption portals.

The Vulnerability - CVE-2024-3917

CVE-2024-3917 is a Reflected Cross-Site Scripting vulnerability. It affects the Pet Manager WordPress plugin up to and including version 1.4. The vulnerability exists because the plugin does not sanitize and escape a specific user input parameter prior to sending it back to the page.

This lack of input sanitization means that an attacker can inject malicious JavaScript code into the vulnerable parameter. This injected code would then be executed whenever a user (such as an admin) clicks a crafted link or visits the manipulated webpage. Consequently, the attacker can potentially steal sensitive information, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of the compromised user, or further exploit the site.

Let's take a closer look at the problematic code snippet from the Pet Manager plugin

$petid = $_GET['petid'];
echo("<input type='text' name='id_pet' value='$petid'>");

As we can see, $petid variable's value is taken directly from the user input ($_GET['petid']) and is not sanitized or escaped before being used in the echo statement. This allows an attacker to craft a malicious URL containing the XSS payload, such as:

http://example.com/pet-manager-page?petid="><script>alert('XSS!');</script>";

If a high privilege user clicks this crafted URL, the XSS payload will be executed in their browser, potentially leading to account compromise, data theft, or further site exploitation.

For more information on this vulnerability, please consult the following resources

- Official CVE Record
- National Vulnerability Database
- WordPress Plugin Vulnerability Database

Prevention and Mitigation

The developers of the Pet Manager plugin have released version 1.5, which patches the vulnerability discussed in this post. Users of the plugin are strongly advised to update to the latest version as soon as possible.

In general, to protect against similar vulnerabilities, developers should always sanitize and escape user input before outputting it back to the page. This greatly reduces the chances of successful XSS attacks.

In addition, website administrators can reduce the overall risk by implementing strict Content Security Policies (CSP) and diligently applying security updates to all installed plugins, themes, and the WordPress core as they become available.

Conclusion

CVE-2024-3917 is a notable example of a Reflected XSS vulnerability in a popular WordPress plugin. It highlights the importance of sanitizing and escaping user input to protect against XSS attacks. Developers and website administrators must always follow best practices when it comes to maintaining the security and integrity of their web applications. Remember to always update your plugins, themes, and WordPress core to ensure you're protected from known vulnerabilities. Stay safe out there!

Timeline

Published on: 05/23/2024 06:15:10 UTC
Last modified on: 07/03/2024 02:06:53 UTC