CVE-2024-13467 is a reflected cross-site scripting vulnerability classified under CWE-79, found in the WP Contact Form7 Email Spam Blocker plugin for WordPress, developed by hk1993. The vulnerability exists in all versions up to and including 1.0.0 due to insufficient sanitization and escaping of the 'post' parameter during web page generation. An unauthenticated attacker can craft a malicious URL containing a script payload in the 'post' parameter. When a victim clicks this URL, the injected script executes in the context of the victim's browser session on the vulnerable site. This can lead to theft of session cookies, redirection to malicious sites, or unauthorized actions performed with the victim's privileges. The vulnerability is exploitable remotely over the network without any authentication but requires user interaction (clicking a link). The CVSS v3.1 score of 6.1 reflects a medium severity with low attack complexity and no privileges required, but user interaction is necessary. No patches or updates are currently linked, and no exploits have been reported in the wild as of the publication date. The vulnerability affects the confidentiality and integrity of user data but does not impact availability. This type of XSS vulnerability is common in web applications that fail to properly neutralize user input before rendering it in HTML output.

The primary impact of CVE-2024-13467 is on the confidentiality and integrity of user data on websites using the vulnerable plugin. Attackers can steal session cookies, enabling account hijacking, or perform actions on behalf of authenticated users, potentially leading to unauthorized data access or manipulation. This can damage user trust and lead to reputational harm for affected organizations. Since the vulnerability requires user interaction, widespread automated exploitation is less likely, but targeted phishing campaigns could be effective. The vulnerability does not affect system availability directly but can be leveraged as a stepping stone for further attacks. Organizations relying on this plugin for spam blocking in WordPress sites face risks of compromised user sessions and potential data breaches. The impact is magnified in environments where sensitive user data or administrative privileges are involved.

To mitigate CVE-2024-13467, organizations should first check for any updates or patches released by the plugin developer and apply them immediately once available. In the absence of official patches, administrators should consider disabling or uninstalling the WP Contact Form7 Email Spam Blocker plugin until a fix is released. Implementing a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with rules to detect and block reflected XSS payloads targeting the 'post' parameter can provide interim protection. Additionally, site owners should enforce Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to restrict script execution sources, reducing the impact of injected scripts. Educating users about the risks of clicking suspicious links can help reduce successful exploitation. Developers maintaining the plugin should adopt secure coding practices, including proper input validation, sanitization, and output encoding. Regular security audits and penetration testing of WordPress plugins are recommended to detect similar vulnerabilities early.