CVE-2024-12189 is a stored cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability classified under CWE-79, found in the WDesignKit – Elementor & Gutenberg Starter Templates, Patterns, Cloud Workspace & Widget Builder plugin for WordPress. This plugin is widely used to facilitate page building and template management within WordPress environments. The vulnerability exists due to insufficient sanitization and escaping of user-supplied input in custom widgets, allowing authenticated users with Contributor-level permissions or higher to inject arbitrary JavaScript code. When a user accesses a page containing the injected script, it executes in their browser context, potentially compromising session tokens, cookies, or enabling further attacks such as privilege escalation or defacement. The vulnerability affects all versions up to and including 1.2.2. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 6.4, reflecting medium severity, with an attack vector of network, low attack complexity, requiring privileges (Contributor or above), no user interaction, and scope change. No patches or fixes are currently linked, and no known exploits have been reported in the wild. The issue highlights the risk of insufficient input validation in WordPress plugins that handle dynamic content generation, especially when lower-privileged users can contribute content that is rendered without proper sanitization.

The impact of CVE-2024-12189 on organizations can be significant, particularly for those relying on the affected WordPress plugin for content management and site building. Successful exploitation allows attackers with Contributor-level access to inject persistent malicious scripts, which execute in the browsers of any users visiting the compromised pages. This can lead to session hijacking, theft of authentication credentials, unauthorized actions performed on behalf of users, defacement, or distribution of malware. While the vulnerability requires authenticated access, Contributor roles are commonly assigned to content creators and editors, increasing the risk of insider threats or compromised accounts being leveraged. The scope of affected systems includes any WordPress site using this plugin, which may span small businesses to large enterprises and government websites. The absence of known exploits in the wild reduces immediate risk but does not preclude future attacks. The vulnerability undermines the confidentiality and integrity of user sessions and site content but does not directly affect availability.

To mitigate CVE-2024-12189, organizations should take several specific actions beyond generic advice: 1) Immediately restrict Contributor-level permissions to trusted users only, minimizing the risk of malicious script injection. 2) Monitor and audit user-generated content, especially custom widgets, for suspicious or unexpected scripts or HTML. 3) Implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block common XSS payloads targeting this plugin’s widget inputs. 4) If possible, disable or remove the WDesignKit plugin until a security patch or update is released by the vendor. 5) Employ Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to limit the execution of unauthorized scripts on affected sites. 6) Educate content contributors about the risks of injecting untrusted code and enforce strict input validation on all user inputs at the application level. 7) Regularly review WordPress plugin updates and subscribe to security advisories from the vendor and WordPress security communities to apply patches promptly once available.