CVE-2024-5502 is a stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability identified in the Piotnet Addons For Elementor plugin for WordPress, specifically affecting all versions up to and including 2.4.30. The vulnerability stems from insufficient sanitization and escaping of user-supplied input in the plugin's Image Accordion, Dual Heading, and Vertical Timeline widgets. Authenticated users with contributor-level permissions or higher can exploit this flaw by injecting arbitrary JavaScript code into these widgets. Because the injected scripts are stored persistently in the website's content, they execute automatically whenever any user accesses the affected pages, including administrators and visitors. This can lead to a range of malicious outcomes such as session hijacking, privilege escalation, defacement, or distribution of malware. The vulnerability does not require user interaction beyond visiting the compromised page and can be exploited remotely over the network. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 6.4, reflecting medium severity with a vector indicating network attack vector, low attack complexity, privileges required at the contributor level, no user interaction, and a scope change. Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the widespread use of WordPress and this popular plugin increases the risk of future exploitation. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input validation and output encoding in web applications, especially those that allow user-generated content. Since no official patches or updates are linked yet, affected sites should consider immediate mitigation steps to reduce risk.

The impact of CVE-2024-5502 on organizations worldwide can be significant, particularly for websites relying on the Piotnet Addons For Elementor plugin for content presentation. Successful exploitation allows attackers with contributor-level access to inject persistent malicious scripts, which execute in the browsers of all users visiting the compromised pages. This can lead to theft of authentication cookies, enabling session hijacking and unauthorized access to user accounts, including administrative accounts. Attackers may also perform actions on behalf of users, deface websites, or redirect visitors to malicious sites, damaging brand reputation and user trust. For organizations with multiple contributors or less stringent access controls, the risk is elevated as more users have the ability to inject malicious content. Additionally, the vulnerability could be leveraged as a foothold for further attacks within the network or to spread malware to site visitors. Although the vulnerability does not directly affect availability, the integrity and confidentiality of website data and user information are at risk. The medium severity rating reflects the need for timely remediation to prevent exploitation that could lead to data breaches or operational disruptions.

To mitigate CVE-2024-5502 effectively, organizations should take the following specific actions: 1) Immediately restrict contributor-level and higher permissions to trusted users only, minimizing the risk of malicious script injection. 2) Monitor and audit content changes in the affected widgets (Image Accordion, Dual Heading, Vertical Timeline) for suspicious or unauthorized script tags or HTML attributes. 3) Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block common XSS payloads targeting these widgets. 4) Employ Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to restrict the execution of inline scripts and limit the domains from which scripts can be loaded, reducing the impact of injected scripts. 5) Regularly backup website content and database to enable quick restoration if compromise occurs. 6) Stay alert for official patches or updates from the plugin vendor and apply them promptly once available. 7) Educate content contributors about safe input practices and the risks of injecting untrusted code. 8) Consider temporarily disabling or replacing the vulnerable widgets if immediate patching is not possible. These targeted measures go beyond generic advice by focusing on access control, monitoring, and layered defenses specific to the nature of this stored XSS vulnerability.