CVE-2024-13621 is a medium-severity vulnerability identified in the WordPress plugin 'The GDPR Framework By Data443' prior to version 2.2.0. The vulnerability is classified as a Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) issue (CWE-79). It arises because the plugin fails to properly sanitize and escape certain settings inputs. This flaw allows users with high privileges, such as administrators, to inject malicious scripts that are stored persistently within the plugin's settings. Notably, this vulnerability can be exploited even when the WordPress capability 'unfiltered_html' is disabled, such as in multisite environments, which typically restricts the ability to post unfiltered HTML content. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 4.8, reflecting a medium severity level. The attack vector is network-based (remote), requiring high privileges (admin level) and user interaction (e.g., visiting a crafted page). The impact includes limited confidentiality and integrity loss, with no impact on availability. The vulnerability's scope is changed, meaning the exploit can affect resources beyond the vulnerable component. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches or fixes have been linked yet. The vulnerability was reserved in January 2025 and published in May 2025 by WPScan. Since the plugin is related to GDPR compliance, it is likely used by organizations handling personal data subject to EU data protection regulations.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a risk primarily because the affected plugin is designed to assist with GDPR compliance, making it a common choice for websites processing EU personal data. Exploitation by a high-privilege user could allow injection of malicious scripts that execute in the context of the website, potentially leading to theft of session cookies, defacement, or unauthorized actions performed on behalf of other users. Although the vulnerability requires administrative privileges, insider threats or compromised admin accounts could leverage this flaw to escalate attacks. The integrity of GDPR-related settings could be compromised, undermining compliance efforts and potentially leading to regulatory scrutiny or reputational damage. Since the vulnerability does not affect availability, denial-of-service is unlikely, but confidentiality and integrity impacts remain significant. The multisite context is particularly sensitive as it may affect multiple sites under a single WordPress installation, increasing the attack surface. Given the importance of GDPR compliance in Europe, organizations using this plugin should prioritize remediation to avoid data breaches or compliance violations.

European organizations should take the following specific steps: 1) Immediately audit WordPress installations to identify usage of 'The GDPR Framework By Data443' plugin and verify the version in use. 2) Upgrade the plugin to version 2.2.0 or later once available, as this will include the necessary sanitization and escaping fixes. 3) Until a patch is available, restrict administrative access to trusted personnel only and enforce strong authentication mechanisms such as multi-factor authentication (MFA) to reduce the risk of compromised admin accounts. 4) Review and harden WordPress multisite configurations to limit privilege escalation and isolate sites where possible. 5) Monitor logs for suspicious admin activities or unexpected changes in plugin settings that could indicate exploitation attempts. 6) Implement Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to mitigate the impact of potential XSS payloads by restricting script execution sources. 7) Conduct regular security awareness training for administrators to recognize phishing or social engineering attempts that could lead to credential compromise. 8) Consider deploying web application firewalls (WAFs) with custom rules to detect and block malicious input patterns targeting plugin settings. These measures go beyond generic advice by focusing on administrative access control, monitoring, and layered defenses tailored to the nature of this stored XSS vulnerability.