CVE-2024-13396 is a stored cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability classified under CWE-79, found in the Frictionless plugin for WordPress developed by spgajjar. This vulnerability affects all versions up to and including 0.0.23. The root cause is insufficient sanitization and escaping of user-supplied input within the 'frictionless_form' shortcode, which allows authenticated users with contributor-level permissions or higher to inject arbitrary JavaScript code into pages. Because the malicious scripts are stored, they execute every time any user accesses the infected page, potentially leading to session hijacking, privilege escalation, or data theft. The vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 6.4 (medium severity), with an attack vector of network, low attack complexity, requiring privileges (PR:L), no user interaction, and scope changed due to impact on other components. Although no known exploits are reported in the wild, the vulnerability poses a significant risk to WordPress sites using this plugin, especially those with multiple contributors. The lack of output escaping and input validation is a common cause of stored XSS, making it critical to sanitize inputs and encode outputs properly. No official patches or updates are currently linked, so mitigation may require manual code review or disabling the vulnerable shortcode until a fix is released.

The primary impact of this vulnerability is on the confidentiality and integrity of affected WordPress sites. Attackers with contributor-level access can inject malicious scripts that execute in the context of other users, including administrators, potentially leading to session hijacking, theft of sensitive information such as cookies or credentials, and unauthorized actions performed on behalf of victims. This can undermine trust in the affected websites and lead to data breaches or defacement. Since the vulnerability does not affect availability directly, denial of service is less likely. However, the scope is significant because many WordPress sites use plugins like Frictionless, and contributor-level access is commonly granted to multiple users, increasing the attack surface. The vulnerability could also be leveraged as a foothold for further attacks within an organization's web infrastructure. Organizations relying on this plugin for content management or form handling are at risk of compromise if they do not remediate promptly.

Organizations should immediately audit their WordPress installations for the presence of the Frictionless plugin and verify the version in use. Until an official patch is released, the following specific mitigations are recommended: 1) Restrict contributor-level access strictly to trusted users to minimize the risk of malicious input injection. 2) Disable or remove the 'frictionless_form' shortcode usage in existing pages or posts to prevent execution of injected scripts. 3) Implement a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with rules to detect and block common XSS payloads targeting this plugin. 4) Conduct manual code review or apply custom input sanitization and output escaping in the plugin code if feasible. 5) Monitor logs for unusual activity or script injections related to the shortcode. 6) Educate content contributors about safe input practices and the risks of injecting untrusted content. 7) Once available, promptly apply official patches or updates from the plugin vendor. 8) Consider alternative plugins with better security track records if remediation is delayed. These measures go beyond generic advice by focusing on access control, shortcode management, and proactive detection tailored to this specific vulnerability.