CVE-2024-8620 is a medium-severity vulnerability classified as CWE-79 (Cross-Site Scripting, XSS) found in the MapPress Maps for WordPress plugin versions prior to 2.93. This plugin integrates map functionalities into WordPress sites. The vulnerability arises because certain plugin settings are not properly sanitized or escaped before being stored and rendered. This flaw allows users with high privileges, such as administrators, to inject malicious scripts that are persistently stored (Stored XSS). Notably, this can occur even when the WordPress unfiltered_html capability is disabled, such as in multisite environments, which typically restricts the ability to post unfiltered HTML. The attack vector requires that the attacker has high privileges (admin-level) and some user interaction (UI:R), but the exploit can lead to a scope change (S:C), meaning the impact can extend beyond the initially compromised user context. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 4.8, reflecting a medium severity due to limited confidentiality and integrity impacts and no availability impact. The vulnerability could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary JavaScript in the context of the victim's browser, potentially leading to session hijacking, privilege escalation, or further compromise of the WordPress site and its users. No known exploits are reported in the wild yet, and no official patches or updates have been linked, indicating that remediation might require manual updates or configuration changes once available. Given the nature of WordPress plugins and their widespread use, this vulnerability could be leveraged in targeted attacks against WordPress sites using this plugin, especially in multisite configurations where unfiltered_html is disabled but admin users exist.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability depends largely on the presence of WordPress sites using the MapPress Maps plugin. Many European businesses, government agencies, and NGOs use WordPress for their websites, including multisite setups for managing multiple domains or departments. An attacker exploiting this vulnerability could inject malicious scripts that compromise administrative accounts, leading to unauthorized access, data leakage, or defacement of websites. This could damage organizational reputation, lead to regulatory non-compliance (e.g., GDPR violations if personal data is exposed), and disrupt online services. Since the vulnerability requires admin privileges, the risk is somewhat mitigated by internal access controls; however, insider threats or compromised admin credentials could be leveraged. The stored XSS could also be used as a pivot point to launch further attacks on users visiting the compromised site, potentially spreading malware or phishing campaigns. The lack of known exploits reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the threat, especially as attackers often weaponize such vulnerabilities rapidly after disclosure.

1. Immediate auditing of WordPress installations to identify the presence and version of the MapPress Maps plugin. 2. Upgrade the plugin to version 2.93 or later once available, as this will likely contain the necessary sanitization fixes. 3. Until patches are available, restrict admin access to trusted personnel only and enforce strong authentication mechanisms (e.g., MFA) to reduce the risk of credential compromise. 4. Implement Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) with custom rules to detect and block suspicious input patterns related to XSS payloads targeting plugin settings. 5. Regularly monitor logs and user activity for unusual behavior indicative of exploitation attempts. 6. Educate administrators about the risks of stored XSS and safe content management practices. 7. Consider disabling or limiting the use of the vulnerable plugin if it is not essential, or replace it with alternative mapping plugins with better security track records. 8. For multisite environments, review and tighten capability assignments to minimize the number of users with high privileges. 9. Employ Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to reduce the impact of potential XSS by restricting script execution sources.