CVE-2024-12122 is a reflected Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability classified under CWE-79, found in the ResAds plugin for WordPress developed by web-mv. This vulnerability affects all versions up to and including 2.0.6. The root cause is insufficient input sanitization and lack of proper output escaping on multiple parameters within the plugin, which are used during web page generation. An unauthenticated attacker can exploit this by crafting malicious URLs containing JavaScript payloads that, when clicked by a victim, execute in the context of the vulnerable website. This reflected XSS does not require prior authentication but does require user interaction (clicking a malicious link). The vulnerability allows attackers to compromise the confidentiality and integrity of user sessions, potentially leading to session hijacking, theft of cookies, or execution of arbitrary actions on behalf of the victim user. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 6.1, indicating a medium severity level, with attack vector network, low attack complexity, no privileges required, user interaction required, and scope changed due to impact on user data. No patches or official fixes have been linked yet, and no known exploits are reported in the wild. The vulnerability is particularly concerning for websites relying on the ResAds plugin for advertising content, as attackers could manipulate ad parameters to inject malicious scripts.

The primary impact of this vulnerability is on the confidentiality and integrity of users interacting with affected WordPress sites using the ResAds plugin. Attackers can steal session cookies, impersonate users, or perform unauthorized actions within the victim's browser context. This can lead to account takeover, data theft, or the spread of malware. Although availability is not directly impacted, the reputational damage and loss of user trust can be significant for organizations. Since the vulnerability is exploitable without authentication but requires user interaction, phishing or social engineering campaigns could be used to maximize impact. Organizations running advertising platforms or content-heavy WordPress sites are at higher risk, especially those with large user bases. The scope is broad because all versions of the plugin up to 2.0.6 are affected, and WordPress is widely used globally. The lack of known exploits in the wild currently reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the threat of future exploitation.

1. Immediately update the ResAds plugin to a patched version once available from the vendor. Monitor official channels for release announcements. 2. Until a patch is released, implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block suspicious input patterns targeting the vulnerable parameters. 3. Employ Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to restrict the execution of unauthorized scripts on affected sites. 4. Sanitize and validate all user-supplied input rigorously on the server side, especially parameters used in ad generation or display. 5. Educate users and administrators about the risks of clicking unknown or suspicious links to reduce successful phishing attempts. 6. Regularly audit and review plugin usage and permissions, removing or disabling unused plugins to reduce attack surface. 7. Monitor web server logs for unusual requests that may indicate attempted exploitation. 8. Consider implementing HTTP-only and secure flags on cookies to reduce the impact of session theft. These measures combined will reduce the risk until a vendor patch is available.