CVE-2024-12452 identifies a stored cross-site scripting vulnerability in the Ziggeo plugin for WordPress, specifically within the 'ziggeo_event' shortcode functionality. This vulnerability stems from insufficient sanitization and escaping of user-supplied attributes, allowing authenticated users with contributor-level access or higher to inject arbitrary JavaScript code into pages. When other users access these pages, the injected scripts execute in their browsers, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or unauthorized actions performed with the victim's privileges. The vulnerability affects all versions of the Ziggeo plugin up to and including version 3.1. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 6.4, reflecting a medium severity level, with an attack vector of network, low attack complexity, privileges required at the contributor level, no user interaction needed, and a scope change indicating that the vulnerability can affect resources beyond the initially compromised component. The impact primarily affects confidentiality and integrity, with no direct impact on availability. No public exploits have been reported yet, but the vulnerability's nature makes it a credible risk for WordPress sites using this plugin, especially those allowing multiple contributors. The vulnerability was published on February 21, 2025, and assigned by Wordfence. Mitigation currently relies on restricting contributor permissions, sanitizing inputs, and monitoring shortcode usage, as no official patch links are provided yet.

The vulnerability allows authenticated contributors or higher to inject malicious scripts that execute in the context of other users visiting the affected pages. This can lead to theft of session cookies, enabling attackers to hijack user sessions and escalate privileges. It can also facilitate unauthorized actions on behalf of victims, data exfiltration, and defacement. Since WordPress powers a significant portion of websites globally, and the Ziggeo plugin is used to embed video recording and playback features, affected sites that allow multiple contributors are at risk of internal abuse or compromised accounts being leveraged for attacks. The scope change in the CVSS vector indicates that the vulnerability can impact components beyond the plugin itself, potentially affecting the broader site environment. Although availability is not directly impacted, the confidentiality and integrity risks can lead to reputational damage, loss of user trust, and compliance violations. Organizations with active content contributors and public-facing WordPress sites using Ziggeo are particularly vulnerable.

1. Immediately restrict contributor-level permissions to trusted users only, minimizing the risk of malicious shortcode injection. 2. Implement strict input validation and output escaping for all user-supplied attributes in the 'ziggeo_event' shortcode, ideally by applying custom filters or sanitization hooks if patching is not yet available. 3. Monitor WordPress logs and shortcode usage for unusual or suspicious patterns indicative of script injection attempts. 4. Educate content contributors about the risks of injecting untrusted content and enforce content review workflows before publishing. 5. Disable or remove the Ziggeo plugin temporarily if the risk is unacceptable and no patch is available. 6. Stay updated with vendor advisories and apply official patches immediately upon release. 7. Employ Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) with rules targeting common XSS payloads to provide an additional layer of defense. 8. Conduct regular security audits and penetration tests focusing on plugin vulnerabilities and user input handling.