The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-11865 affects the Tabs Maker plugin for WordPress, developed by html5maps. This plugin suffers from a stored cross-site scripting (XSS) flaw classified under CWE-79, which involves improper neutralization of input during web page generation. Specifically, the plugin fails to adequately sanitize and escape user-supplied input in tab descriptions, allowing authenticated users with contributor-level permissions or higher to inject arbitrary JavaScript code. When other users access pages containing these malicious tabs, the injected scripts execute in their browsers. The vulnerability affects all versions up to and including 1.0 of the plugin. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 6.4, indicating a medium severity level. The vector metrics show that the attack can be performed remotely over the network (AV:N) with low complexity (AC:L), requires privileges (PR:L) but no user interaction (UI:N), and impacts confidentiality and integrity (C:L, I:L) without affecting availability (A:N). The scope is changed (S:C), meaning the vulnerability can affect resources beyond the initially vulnerable component. No public exploits have been reported yet. The vulnerability is significant because contributor-level users are common in WordPress environments, and stored XSS can lead to session hijacking, privilege escalation, or defacement. The lack of patches at the time of reporting means mitigation relies on access control and monitoring.

This vulnerability can have serious consequences for organizations using the Tabs Maker plugin on WordPress sites. An attacker with contributor-level access can inject malicious scripts that execute in the browsers of site visitors or administrators, potentially leading to session hijacking, theft of sensitive information, unauthorized actions performed on behalf of users, or distribution of malware. This compromises the confidentiality and integrity of user data and site content. Although availability is not directly impacted, the reputational damage and potential regulatory consequences from data breaches can be significant. Since WordPress powers a large portion of the web, and contributor roles are commonly assigned to content creators, the attack surface is broad. The vulnerability could be leveraged in targeted attacks against organizations with multiple contributors or in multi-tenant hosting environments. The absence of known exploits in the wild currently reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the threat, especially as exploit code may emerge. The medium CVSS score reflects the need for timely remediation to prevent exploitation.

Organizations should immediately audit and restrict contributor-level privileges to trusted users only, minimizing the risk of malicious input. Implement strict input validation and output encoding on all user-generated content, especially tab descriptions, to prevent script injection. Monitor logs and user activity for unusual behavior indicative of attempted exploitation. Employ Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) with rules targeting common XSS payloads to provide an additional layer of defense. Keep WordPress core, plugins, and themes updated, and watch for official patches or updates from the html5maps project addressing this vulnerability. If patches are not yet available, consider temporarily disabling the Tabs Maker plugin or replacing it with a secure alternative. Educate content contributors about safe content practices and the risks of injecting untrusted code. Conduct regular security assessments and penetration testing focused on plugin vulnerabilities. Finally, implement Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to restrict the execution of unauthorized scripts on the website.