The Posts and Products Views for WooCommerce plugin for WordPress suffers from a stored cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-12448. This vulnerability exists due to insufficient sanitization and escaping of user-supplied input in the 'papvfwc_views' shortcode, which is used to display posts and product views. Authenticated attackers with contributor-level permissions or higher can exploit this flaw by injecting arbitrary JavaScript code into pages generated by the plugin. When other users visit these pages, the injected scripts execute in their browsers, potentially allowing attackers to steal session cookies, perform actions on behalf of users, or deliver further malware. The vulnerability affects all versions up to and including 2.1 of the plugin. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 6.4, reflecting a network attack vector, low attack complexity, privileges required, no user interaction, and a scope change with partial confidentiality and integrity impact but no availability impact. No public exploits have been reported yet, but the vulnerability's nature and ease of exploitation by authenticated users make it a significant risk for WordPress sites using this plugin.

This vulnerability can lead to unauthorized script execution in the context of affected WordPress sites, compromising user sessions and potentially enabling privilege escalation or data theft. Since the attack requires contributor-level access, attackers might leverage compromised or weak user accounts to inject malicious payloads. The impact is particularly severe for e-commerce sites using WooCommerce, as attackers could manipulate product views or posts to phish users or alter displayed information. The integrity and confidentiality of user data and site content are at risk, though availability is not directly affected. Exploitation could damage brand reputation, lead to customer trust loss, and result in regulatory compliance issues, especially for sites handling sensitive customer information or payment data.

Organizations should immediately update the Posts and Products Views for WooCommerce plugin to a patched version once available. Until a patch is released, administrators should restrict contributor-level permissions to trusted users only and audit existing user roles for unnecessary privileges. Employing a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with custom rules to detect and block malicious script payloads targeting the 'papvfwc_views' shortcode parameters can help mitigate exploitation. Additionally, site owners should implement Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to limit script execution sources and regularly scan their WordPress installations for injected scripts or suspicious content. Monitoring user activity logs for unusual behavior and educating users about phishing risks can further reduce impact. Finally, consider disabling or removing the vulnerable plugin if it is not essential to site functionality.