CVE-2024-12320 identifies a reflected Cross-Site Scripting vulnerability in the Team Rosters plugin for WordPress, developed by markodonnell. This vulnerability exists in all versions up to and including 4.7 due to improper neutralization of user-supplied input in the ‘tab’ parameter. Specifically, the plugin fails to adequately sanitize and escape this parameter before embedding it into web pages, enabling attackers to inject arbitrary JavaScript code. Because the vulnerability is reflected, the malicious payload is included in a crafted URL that, when clicked by a victim, causes the injected script to execute within the victim’s browser context. The attack does not require any authentication, increasing its accessibility to attackers. However, it does require user interaction, such as clicking a malicious link. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 6.1, indicating a medium severity level, with the vector AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N. This means the attack is network-based, requires low attack complexity, no privileges, but does require user interaction. The scope is changed, indicating that the vulnerability affects resources beyond the vulnerable component, potentially impacting the confidentiality and integrity of user data. While no known exploits have been reported in the wild, the vulnerability poses a risk of session hijacking, credential theft, or unauthorized actions performed in the context of the victim’s session. The plugin is widely used in WordPress environments for managing team rosters, making affected sites potential targets. The lack of available patches at the time of publication necessitates immediate mitigation efforts by administrators.

The primary impact of CVE-2024-12320 is on the confidentiality and integrity of user sessions on affected WordPress sites. Successful exploitation allows attackers to execute arbitrary scripts in the context of a victim’s browser, potentially stealing cookies, session tokens, or other sensitive information. This can lead to account takeover or unauthorized actions performed on behalf of the user. Although availability is not directly affected, the compromise of user accounts or administrative sessions can lead to further attacks, including defacement or data manipulation. Organizations relying on the Team Rosters plugin for public-facing or internal websites risk reputational damage, data breaches, and loss of user trust. The vulnerability’s ease of exploitation (no authentication required) combined with the widespread use of WordPress globally increases the attack surface. Attackers may use phishing or social engineering to lure users into clicking malicious links, amplifying the threat. Without timely remediation, the risk of targeted or opportunistic attacks remains significant, especially for organizations with high-value data or critical web services.

To mitigate CVE-2024-12320, 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 can implement the following specific measures: 1) Employ a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with rules to detect and block malicious payloads targeting the ‘tab’ parameter, focusing on script tags and suspicious input patterns. 2) Implement strict input validation and output encoding on the ‘tab’ parameter at the web server or application level, ensuring any user-supplied data is properly sanitized before rendering. 3) Use Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to restrict the execution of inline scripts and limit the domains from which scripts can be loaded, reducing the impact of injected scripts. 4) Educate users and administrators about the risks of clicking unknown or suspicious links, especially those containing unusual URL parameters. 5) Monitor web server logs for unusual requests targeting the ‘tab’ parameter or other suspicious activity indicative of attempted exploitation. 6) Consider temporarily disabling or replacing the Team Rosters plugin with alternative solutions until a secure version is available. 7) Regularly audit and update all WordPress plugins and core installations to minimize exposure to known vulnerabilities.