CVE-2024-11901 is a stored cross-site scripting vulnerability classified under CWE-79, found in the PowerBI Embed Reports plugin for WordPress developed by cyberlord92. The vulnerability exists in all versions up to and including 1.1.7 due to insufficient sanitization and escaping of user-supplied attributes in the plugin's 'MO_API_POWER_BI' shortcode. Authenticated users with contributor-level permissions or higher can exploit this flaw by injecting arbitrary JavaScript code into pages or posts that utilize this shortcode. When other users access these pages, the injected scripts execute in their browsers, potentially compromising session tokens, cookies, or enabling further attacks such as privilege escalation or data theft. The vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 6.4, reflecting a medium severity with network attack vector, low attack complexity, and requiring privileges but no user interaction. The scope is changed (S:C) because the vulnerability affects resources beyond the attacker’s privileges, impacting other users. No patches or official fixes are currently linked, and no known exploits have been reported in the wild as of the publication date. The vulnerability highlights the risks of improper input validation in WordPress plugins that integrate third-party services like PowerBI, emphasizing the need for secure coding practices and strict access controls.

The primary impact of CVE-2024-11901 is the potential compromise of user sessions and data confidentiality through stored XSS attacks. Attackers with contributor-level access can inject malicious scripts that execute in the context of other users, including administrators, potentially leading to session hijacking, unauthorized actions, or theft of sensitive information. This can undermine the integrity of the affected WordPress site and its embedded PowerBI reports, damaging organizational reputation and trust. Since the vulnerability requires authenticated access, the risk is somewhat mitigated but remains significant in multi-user environments where contributors are common. The scope change means that the attacker can affect users with higher privileges, increasing the threat severity. Organizations relying on this plugin for business intelligence reporting may face data leakage or manipulation risks, especially if sensitive reports are embedded. The absence of known exploits reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the threat, as attackers may develop exploits in the future.

To mitigate CVE-2024-11901, organizations should first check for updates or patches from the plugin developer and apply them immediately once available. In the absence of official patches, administrators should restrict contributor-level access to trusted users only, minimizing the risk of malicious shortcode injection. Implementing a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with rules to detect and block XSS payloads targeting the 'MO_API_POWER_BI' shortcode can provide temporary protection. Site administrators should audit existing content for suspicious shortcode usage and sanitize or remove any untrusted inputs. Employing Content Security Policy (CSP) headers can reduce the impact of injected scripts by restricting script execution sources. Additionally, developers or site owners can consider modifying the plugin code to enforce stricter input validation and output escaping on shortcode attributes. Regular security reviews and user permission audits are recommended to limit exposure. Monitoring logs for unusual activity related to shortcode usage can help detect exploitation attempts early.