Mitigating CVE-2024-50516: Addressing XSS Vulnerability in WordPress Countdown & Clock Plugin

Published on: 11-19-2024 By Soc Team

CVE-2024-50516: A Critical Insight into WordPress Countdown & Clock XSS Vulnerability

On November 19th, 2024, Patchstack published a CVE report, CVE-2024-50516, highlighting a Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the popular WordPress plugin, Countdown & Clock. This vulnerability affects plugin versions up to 2.8.0.9.

The vulnerability stems from Improper Neutralization of Input during web page generation, classified under CWE-79. It allows malicious actors to execute Stored XSS attacks, potentially impacting website users' data confidentiality and integrity.

Understanding the Risk: Technical Overview

XSS vulnerabilities, like CVE-2024-50516, exploit the dynamic nature of web page content rendering. In this case, the Countdown & Clock plugin failed to properly sanitize input, permitting unauthorized scripts to be stored and executed in the context of users visiting the affected pages.

The vulnerability's CVSS v3.1 score is set at 5.9, signifying a medium severity level. The attack complexity is low, though it requires high privileges to exploit successfully. Notably, the vulnerability necessitates user interaction for execution.

Mitigation Strategies

Mitigating CVE-2024-50516 necessitates a proactive approach:

  • Update Plugin: As of now, ensure your plugin is updated to a version beyond 2.8.0.9 as soon as the patch is available from the vendor.
  • Implement a Web Application Firewall (WAF): Deploying a WAF can help detect and block common attack vectors, including XSS payloads.
  • Sanitize Inputs: As a developer, it is critical to implement proper input validation and output encoding to prevent future XSS vulnerabilities.
  • User Awareness: Educate your users about potential risks and advise them to avoid engaging with suspicious links or inputs.

Conclusion

While the XSS vulnerability in Countdown & Clock poses significant risks, timely action can prevent exploitation. Staying informed and adopting robust security practices not only mitigates CVE-2024-50516 but also strengthens your overall cybersecurity posture.

For further information and detailed technical insights, please refer to the Patchstack database entry on this vulnerability.