CVE-2024-11814 is a reflected Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability identified in the Additional Custom Order Status for WooCommerce plugin for WordPress, affecting all versions up to and including 1.6.0. The vulnerability stems from improper neutralization of input during web page generation, specifically through the parameters wfwp_wcos_delete_finished, wfwp_wcos_delete_fallback_finished, wfwp_wcos_delete_fallback_orders_updated, and wfwp_wcos_delete_fallback_status. These parameters are not adequately sanitized or escaped before being reflected in the web page, allowing an attacker to inject arbitrary JavaScript code. Since the vulnerability is reflected, exploitation requires an attacker to craft a malicious URL containing the payload and convince a user to click it, leading to execution of the injected script in the context of the victim's browser session. This can result in theft of cookies, session tokens, or other sensitive information, as well as manipulation of the web page content or actions performed on behalf of the user. The vulnerability does not require authentication, increasing its risk profile. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 6.1, reflecting a medium severity with network attack vector, low attack complexity, no privileges required, user interaction required, scope changed, and low impact on confidentiality and integrity but no impact on availability. No patches or fixes are currently linked, and no known exploits have been reported in the wild. The plugin is used in WooCommerce, a popular e-commerce platform on WordPress, which is widely deployed globally, especially in countries with significant e-commerce markets. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input validation and output encoding in web applications to prevent XSS attacks.

The primary impact of CVE-2024-11814 is on the confidentiality and integrity of user sessions and data within affected WooCommerce sites. Successful exploitation can lead to theft of session cookies, enabling attackers to impersonate users, including administrators, potentially leading to unauthorized actions such as order manipulation or data theft. It can also facilitate phishing attacks by altering page content or redirecting users to malicious sites. Although availability is not directly impacted, the reputational damage and potential regulatory consequences from data breaches can be significant. For organizations relying on WooCommerce for e-commerce, this vulnerability could undermine customer trust and lead to financial losses. Since the vulnerability is exploitable without authentication but requires user interaction, social engineering is a key risk factor. The lack of known exploits in the wild reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the threat, especially as proof-of-concept exploits may emerge. The vulnerability affects all sites using the plugin up to version 1.6.0, which could be numerous given WooCommerce's popularity. Therefore, the impact is potentially widespread across small to medium-sized e-commerce businesses globally.

Organizations should immediately verify if they use the Additional Custom Order Status for WooCommerce plugin and identify the version in use. Since no official patch is currently linked, administrators should consider the following mitigations: 1) Temporarily disable or remove the vulnerable plugin until a patch is released. 2) Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block malicious payloads targeting the vulnerable parameters (wfwp_wcos_delete_finished, wfwp_wcos_delete_fallback_finished, wfwp_wcos_delete_fallback_orders_updated, wfwp_wcos_delete_fallback_status). 3) Educate users and administrators about the risks of clicking unsolicited or suspicious links related to the e-commerce site. 4) Monitor web server logs for suspicious requests containing script tags or unusual parameter values. 5) Employ Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to restrict execution of unauthorized scripts. 6) Once a patch is available, promptly update the plugin to the fixed version. 7) Conduct regular security assessments and code reviews of plugins and themes to detect similar vulnerabilities. These steps provide layered defense until a permanent fix is applied.