CVE-2024-12177 is a reflected cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability identified in the Ai Image Alt Text Generator for WP plugin, a WordPress plugin developed by boomdevs. The vulnerability exists in all versions up to and including 1.0.2 due to improper neutralization of user-supplied input in the 'page' parameter during web page generation. Specifically, the plugin fails to adequately sanitize and escape this parameter before reflecting it back in the HTML output, allowing attackers to inject arbitrary JavaScript code. Because the vulnerability is reflected, exploitation requires an attacker to craft a malicious URL containing the payload and convince a user to click it. Upon visiting the crafted URL, the injected script executes in the context of the victim's browser, potentially leading to theft of cookies, session tokens, or other sensitive information, as well as manipulation of the displayed content or redirection to malicious sites. The vulnerability does not require authentication, increasing its risk profile, but does require user interaction. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 6.1, indicating medium severity, with attack vector as network, low attack complexity, no privileges required, user interaction required, and scope changed due to impact on confidentiality and integrity but not availability. No public exploits or active exploitation have been reported yet. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-79 (Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation), a common web application security flaw. The lack of patch links suggests that a fix may not yet be available, emphasizing the need for mitigation.

The primary impact of CVE-2024-12177 is the compromise of confidentiality and integrity for users interacting with vulnerable WordPress sites using the affected plugin. Attackers can steal session cookies or authentication tokens, enabling account hijacking or unauthorized actions. They may also manipulate the content displayed to users, facilitating phishing or social engineering attacks. While availability is not directly affected, the reputational damage and potential data breaches can be significant for organizations. Since the vulnerability is exploitable remotely without authentication, it poses a risk to any publicly accessible WordPress site using this plugin. The requirement for user interaction (clicking a malicious link) somewhat limits the attack surface but does not eliminate it, especially in environments where users may be targeted via email or social media. Organizations relying on this plugin for accessibility or SEO improvements may face compliance issues if user data is compromised. The absence of known exploits in the wild currently reduces immediate risk but should not lead to complacency.

Organizations should immediately verify if they are using the Ai Image Alt Text Generator for WP plugin in any version up to 1.0.2 and plan to update to a patched version once available. In the absence of an official patch, administrators can implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block suspicious input patterns in the 'page' parameter, particularly those containing script tags or JavaScript event handlers. Input validation and output encoding should be applied at the application level if source code access is possible, ensuring all user-supplied data is properly sanitized and escaped before rendering. Additionally, security teams should educate users about the risks of clicking unsolicited links and implement Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to restrict script execution sources. Monitoring web server logs for unusual query parameters and user agent strings can help detect attempted exploitation. Finally, consider disabling or replacing the plugin with a more secure alternative if immediate patching is not feasible.