CVE-2024-52472

Vulnerability

Overview The Weather Atlas Widget plugin for WordPress versions up to 3.0.3 contains a reflected cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability due to improper neutralization of user-supplied input during web page generation [1]. This flaw enables an attacker to inject arbitrary HTML and JavaScript into a page, which is then reflected back to the victim's browser. The CVE description classifies this as a reflected XSS issue, indicating that the payload is delivered via a crafted request (e.g., a URL) rather than stored permanently [1].

Attack

Vector and Exploitation Exploitation requires user interaction: a victim must click a malicious link or visit a specially crafted page [1]. No authentication is needed to trigger the vulnerability, though the impact is limited by the fact that the injected script executes in the context of the victim's session. Attackers can leverage this to perform actions such as redirecting users to phishing sites, injecting advertisements, or stealing session cookies [1]. The vulnerability is moderately dangerous and is expected to be used in mass-exploit campaigns targeting numerous WordPress sites regardless of their size or popularity [1].

Impact

Successful exploitation allows an attacker to execute arbitrary scripts in the victim's browser, potentially compromising sensitive data, altering page content, or performing unauthorized actions on behalf of the user. While the CVSS score of 7.1 reflects a high-severity issue, the requirement for user interaction reduces the overall risk slightly [1]. Nonetheless, the potential for automated exploitation makes this a significant threat for unpatched sites.

Mitigation

The vulnerability is fixed in version 3.0.4 of the Weather Atlas Widget plugin [1]. Users are strongly advised to update immediately. Hosting providers or web developers can assist if automatic updates are not enabled. Patchstack has also released a virtual mitigation rule to block attacks until the patch is applied [1].