CVE-2024-13576 is a stored cross-site scripting vulnerability identified in the Gumlet Video plugin for WordPress, affecting all versions up to and including 1.0.3. The root cause is insufficient sanitization and escaping of user-supplied attributes in the plugin's 'gumlet' shortcode, which allows 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 within the context of the vulnerable site. This can lead to a range of attacks including session hijacking, privilege escalation, defacement, or redirection to malicious sites. The vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 6.4, reflecting a medium severity level. The attack vector is network-based, with low complexity and requiring only privileges of a contributor or above, but no user interaction is needed for exploitation once the malicious content is injected. The scope is changed because the vulnerability affects other users beyond the attacker. No patches have been officially released yet, and no known exploits are currently in the wild. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-79 (Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation), a common category for XSS issues. This vulnerability highlights the risks of insufficient input validation in WordPress plugins, especially those that allow user-generated content to be embedded in pages.

The impact of CVE-2024-13576 is significant for organizations running WordPress sites with the Gumlet Video plugin installed. An attacker with contributor-level access can inject persistent malicious scripts that execute in the browsers of site visitors, including administrators and other privileged users. This can lead to theft of authentication cookies, enabling session hijacking and unauthorized access to sensitive areas of the website. Additionally, attackers could perform actions on behalf of other users, deface content, or redirect users to phishing or malware sites. The vulnerability compromises confidentiality and integrity but does not directly impact availability. Since contributor-level access is required, the threat is somewhat limited to environments where such user roles are granted, but many WordPress sites allow contributors to upload or edit content. The scope of impact extends beyond the attacker, affecting all users who view the injected pages, potentially damaging the organization's reputation and trustworthiness. Exploitation ease is moderate due to the required privileges, but the lack of need for user interaction increases risk. The absence of known exploits in the wild reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the threat, especially as attackers often target popular WordPress plugins.

To mitigate CVE-2024-13576, organizations should first check for and apply any official patches or updates from the Gumlet Video plugin vendor once available. Until a patch is released, administrators should restrict contributor-level permissions to trusted users only, minimizing the risk of malicious shortcode injection. Implementing a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with rules to detect and block suspicious script injections in shortcode attributes can provide an additional layer of defense. Site administrators should audit existing content for injected scripts and remove any suspicious code. Employing security plugins that sanitize user inputs and outputs can help mitigate XSS risks. Regularly monitoring logs for unusual activity related to shortcode usage or content changes is recommended. Educating content contributors about safe content practices and the risks of injecting scripts is also beneficial. Finally, consider disabling or replacing the Gumlet Video plugin with a more secure alternative if immediate patching is not feasible.