CVE-2024-11765 is a stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability identified in the samdani WordPress Portfolio Plugin, a tool used to create filterable portfolio grids and sliders. The vulnerability exists due to insufficient sanitization and escaping of user-supplied input within the 'gs_portfolio' shortcode. Specifically, authenticated users with contributor-level permissions or higher can inject arbitrary JavaScript code into portfolio pages. When other users access these pages, the injected scripts execute in their browsers, potentially compromising session tokens, redirecting users, or performing unauthorized actions. The vulnerability affects all plugin versions up to and including 1.6.3. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 6.4, reflecting a medium severity with network attack vector, low attack complexity, requiring privileges (contributor or above), no user interaction, and a scope change. The vulnerability impacts confidentiality and integrity but not availability. No public exploits have been reported, but the presence of authenticated access requirements limits the attack surface to users with some level of trust. The plugin is popular among WordPress sites that showcase portfolios, making it a relevant target for attackers aiming to compromise websites with multiple contributors or editors. The lack of patches at the time of publication necessitates immediate attention from site administrators.

The primary impact of this vulnerability is the potential for attackers with contributor-level access to execute arbitrary JavaScript in the context of the affected website. This can lead to session hijacking, theft of sensitive information, unauthorized actions performed on behalf of other users, defacement, or distribution of malware. For organizations, this can result in reputational damage, loss of user trust, and potential data breaches. Since the vulnerability requires authenticated access, insider threats or compromised contributor accounts pose significant risks. Websites relying on this plugin for portfolio display, especially those with multiple content contributors, are at heightened risk. The scope of impact extends to any user visiting the infected pages, including administrators, increasing the risk of privilege escalation or further compromise. Although availability is not directly affected, the integrity and confidentiality of site data and user sessions are at risk, which can have cascading effects on business operations and compliance requirements.

1. Immediate mitigation involves restricting contributor-level access to trusted users only, minimizing the risk of malicious script injection. 2. Site administrators should monitor and audit recent changes to portfolio pages for suspicious or unexpected content. 3. Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block common XSS payloads targeting the 'gs_portfolio' shortcode parameters. 4. Employ Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to limit the execution of unauthorized scripts on affected pages. 5. Sanitize and validate all user inputs at the application level, especially those related to shortcodes and dynamic content generation. 6. Regularly back up website data to enable recovery in case of compromise. 7. Stay alert for official patches or updates from the plugin vendor and apply them promptly once available. 8. Educate contributors about the risks of injecting untrusted content and enforce strict content submission guidelines. 9. Consider temporarily disabling or replacing the vulnerable plugin if immediate patching is not feasible. 10. Conduct regular security assessments and penetration testing focusing on user input handling in WordPress plugins.