CVE-2024-49309

Root Cause CVE-2024-49309 is a reflected cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the WordPress theme Digitally, affecting all versions up to and including 1.0.8. The flaw stems from improper neutralization of user-supplied input during web page generation, which allows an attacker to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML into a response page [1].

Exploitation An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by crafting a malicious link or URL that, when visited by a privileged user (such as an administrator), triggers the reflected XSS. The attack requires user interaction, such as clicking the link or submitting a crafted form, but does not require authentication on the attacker's part. The injected script executes in the context of the victim's session on the affected WordPress site [1].

Impact Successful exploitation enables the attacker to inject malicious scripts that can perform actions like redirecting visitors to attacker-controlled sites, displaying unauthorized advertisements, or stealing session cookies. This could lead to further compromise of the website or its users. The Patchstack advisory rates this as a high-severity issue (CVSS 7.1) and notes that it is expected to be used in mass-exploit campaigns [1].

Mitigation No official patch is available as of the advisory's publication (October 2024); the theme has not been updated in over a year and is unlikely to receive further updates. The recommended immediate action is to remove and replace the theme with an actively maintained alternative. Deactivating the theme does not remove the security threat unless a mitigation rule (e.g., from Patchstack) is deployed. Users unable to update immediately should consult their hosting provider for assistance [1].