CVE-2024-4462 is a stored cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability identified in the Nafeza Prayer Time plugin for WordPress, affecting all versions up to and including 1.2.9. The vulnerability arises from improper input sanitization and output escaping in the plugin's admin settings interface, allowing authenticated attackers with administrator-level permissions or higher to inject arbitrary JavaScript code into pages generated by the plugin. This malicious code executes whenever any user accesses the compromised page, potentially enabling session hijacking, privilege escalation, or other client-side attacks. The vulnerability specifically impacts multi-site WordPress installations or single-site installations where the unfiltered_html capability is disabled, limiting the attack surface to environments with stricter content filtering. Exploitation requires authenticated access with high privileges, making it less accessible to lower-privileged users or anonymous attackers. The vulnerability is tracked under CWE-79 (Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation) and has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 4.4, indicating medium severity. No public exploits have been reported to date. The absence of patches or updates in the provided data suggests that users should apply any forthcoming fixes promptly or implement alternative mitigations. The vulnerability's scope is confined to the plugin's affected versions and specific WordPress configurations, but given the widespread use of WordPress and the plugin in certain communities, the risk remains significant for targeted environments.

The primary impact of CVE-2024-4462 is the potential for attackers with administrator-level access to inject malicious scripts that execute in the context of users visiting the affected pages. This can lead to theft of session cookies, defacement, or execution of unauthorized actions on behalf of users, compromising confidentiality and integrity of user data. Since the vulnerability requires high privileges and affects multi-site or filtered HTML environments, the risk of widespread exploitation is somewhat limited. However, in environments where multiple sites share the same WordPress installation, a successful attack could affect multiple sites simultaneously, amplifying the impact. Organizations relying on the Nafeza Prayer Time plugin in multi-site configurations or with disabled unfiltered_html are at risk of targeted attacks, especially if attackers have already gained administrator credentials. The vulnerability does not affect availability directly but can undermine trust and lead to reputational damage if exploited. Given the medium CVSS score and the requirement for authenticated high-privilege access, the threat is moderate but should not be underestimated in sensitive or high-profile deployments.

To mitigate CVE-2024-4462, organizations should first verify if they are running the Nafeza Prayer Time plugin version 1.2.9 or earlier, particularly in multi-site WordPress environments or where unfiltered_html is disabled. Immediate steps include: 1) Applying any official patches or updates released by the plugin vendor once available. 2) Restricting administrator-level access strictly to trusted personnel and enforcing strong authentication mechanisms such as multi-factor authentication (MFA). 3) Reviewing and sanitizing all inputs in the plugin’s admin settings manually if patching is delayed, or temporarily disabling the plugin if feasible. 4) Monitoring logs and user activity for suspicious behavior indicative of XSS exploitation attempts. 5) Employing Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to limit the execution of unauthorized scripts on affected pages. 6) Using security plugins or web application firewalls (WAFs) that can detect and block XSS payloads targeting the plugin. 7) Educating administrators on the risks of injecting untrusted content and the importance of secure plugin management. These targeted mitigations go beyond generic advice by focusing on the specific conditions and attack vectors of this vulnerability.