CVE-2024-12043 identifies a stored cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Prime Slider – Addons For Elementor plugin, which provides various slider functionalities for WordPress sites. The vulnerability arises from improper neutralization of input during web page generation, specifically through the 'social_link_title' parameter in the blog widget. This parameter is insufficiently sanitized and escaped, allowing authenticated users with Contributor-level privileges or higher to inject arbitrary JavaScript code into pages. When other users access these pages, the injected scripts execute in their browsers, potentially compromising session tokens, cookies, or enabling unauthorized actions. The vulnerability affects all plugin versions up to and including 3.16.5. The attack vector is remote over the network, with low complexity, requiring only authenticated access but no user interaction for exploitation. The scope is changed as the vulnerability can affect other users viewing the injected content. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 6.4, indicating medium severity with partial confidentiality and integrity impact but no availability impact. No public exploits have been reported yet, but the vulnerability poses a significant risk in multi-user WordPress environments, especially where users have Contributor or higher roles. The lack of output escaping and input validation in a widely used plugin increases the attack surface for stored XSS attacks, which are more dangerous than reflected XSS due to persistence of malicious code. This vulnerability underscores the importance of secure coding practices in WordPress plugin development and the need for timely updates.

The primary impact of CVE-2024-12043 is the potential compromise of user confidentiality and integrity on affected WordPress sites. Attackers with Contributor-level access can inject persistent malicious scripts that execute in the browsers of site visitors or administrators. This can lead to theft of authentication cookies, session hijacking, defacement, or unauthorized actions performed under the victim’s identity. Although availability is not directly impacted, the trustworthiness and security posture of the affected site can be severely damaged. Organizations relying on this plugin in multi-user environments are at risk of insider threats or compromised contributor accounts being leveraged to escalate attacks. The vulnerability can facilitate further attacks such as privilege escalation, data exfiltration, or distribution of malware. Given the widespread use of WordPress and Elementor plugins globally, the potential scale of impact is significant, especially for sites with multiple contributors or public-facing blogs. The absence of known exploits in the wild currently limits immediate risk but does not preclude future exploitation. Failure to remediate may result in reputational damage, regulatory penalties, and loss of user trust.

To mitigate CVE-2024-12043, organizations should immediately update the Prime Slider – Addons For Elementor plugin to a patched version once available. In the absence of an official patch, administrators should restrict Contributor-level and higher privileges to trusted users only, minimizing the risk of malicious script injection. Implementing a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with rules to detect and block suspicious input patterns targeting the 'social_link_title' parameter can provide interim protection. Site administrators should audit existing content for injected scripts and remove any malicious code. Employ Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to restrict the execution of unauthorized scripts on the site. Additionally, hardening WordPress installations by disabling unnecessary user roles and enforcing strong authentication mechanisms reduces the attack surface. Developers maintaining custom themes or plugins should review input sanitization and output escaping practices to prevent similar vulnerabilities. Regular security scanning and monitoring for anomalous behavior related to XSS attacks are recommended. Finally, educating contributors about the risks of injecting untrusted content can help prevent exploitation.