CVE-2024-9227 is a medium-severity stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability affecting the PowerPress Podcasting plugin by Blubrry for WordPress, specifically versions prior to 11.9.18. The vulnerability arises because the plugin fails to properly sanitize and escape certain settings when adding a podcast. This flaw allows authenticated admin users to inject malicious scripts that are stored and later executed in the context of other users viewing the affected pages. Notably, this vulnerability can be exploited even when the WordPress unfiltered_html capability is disabled, which normally restricts the ability to post unfiltered HTML content. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 4.8, reflecting a medium severity with the vector indicating network attack vector (AV:N), low attack complexity (AC:L), requiring high privileges (PR:H), requiring user interaction (UI:R), with a scope change (S:C), and limited impact on confidentiality and integrity (C:L/I:L) but no impact on availability (A:N). The scope change indicates that the vulnerability affects resources beyond the privileges of the attacker, potentially impacting other users. Since the exploit requires an authenticated admin user and user interaction, the attack surface is limited to environments where an attacker has or can obtain admin credentials. The vulnerability could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary JavaScript in the context of the WordPress admin dashboard or other users with access to the affected plugin's interface, potentially leading to session hijacking, privilege escalation, or further compromise of the WordPress site. There are no known exploits in the wild at this time, and no official patch links were provided, but it is expected that updating to version 11.9.18 or later would remediate the issue.

For European organizations using WordPress sites with the PowerPress Podcasting plugin, this vulnerability poses a moderate risk. Since exploitation requires admin-level access, the primary threat is from insider threats or attackers who have already compromised admin credentials. Successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized actions within the WordPress admin interface, including theft of sensitive information, manipulation of podcast content, or deployment of further malicious payloads targeting site visitors or administrators. This could damage organizational reputation, lead to data breaches, or disrupt podcast distribution channels. Given the popularity of WordPress and podcasting in Europe, organizations in media, education, and marketing sectors that rely on podcast content could be particularly impacted. The vulnerability’s ability to bypass unfiltered_html restrictions increases risk in environments with strict content filtering policies. However, the lack of known exploits and the requirement for high privileges reduce the likelihood of widespread exploitation. Nonetheless, the scope change means that the impact could extend beyond the attacker’s privileges, potentially affecting other users and site components.

European organizations should prioritize updating the PowerPress Podcasting plugin to version 11.9.18 or later as soon as it becomes available to ensure the vulnerability is patched. Until an update is applied, organizations should restrict admin access strictly to trusted personnel and enforce strong authentication mechanisms such as multi-factor authentication (MFA) to reduce the risk of credential compromise. Regularly audit admin accounts and plugin settings for suspicious changes or unauthorized scripts. Implement Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to limit the execution of unauthorized scripts in the WordPress admin interface. Additionally, consider deploying Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) with rules targeting XSS patterns to detect and block malicious payloads. Monitoring logs for unusual admin activity or unexpected content changes can help detect exploitation attempts early. Finally, educate administrators about the risks of stored XSS and the importance of cautious input handling even within trusted roles.