CVE-2024-30461: Tumult Hype Animations XSS Vulnerability

CVE-2024-30461 Overview

CVE-2024-30461 is a DOM-Based Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability affecting the Tumult Hype Animations WordPress plugin developed by Tumult Inc. This vulnerability stems from improper neutralization of input during web page generation, allowing attackers to inject malicious scripts that execute in victims' browsers.

Critical Impact

This DOM-Based XSS vulnerability can be exploited through a CSRF (Cross-Site Request Forgery) chain, enabling attackers to execute arbitrary JavaScript in the context of authenticated users' sessions, potentially leading to session hijacking, data theft, or further compromise of WordPress installations.

Affected Products

• Tumult Hype Animations WordPress Plugin versions through 1.9.11
• WordPress installations utilizing the Tumult Hype Animations plugin
• Web applications embedding Hype animations from vulnerable plugin versions

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-01-05 - CVE-2024-30461 published to NVD
• 2026-01-08 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-30461

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-79 (Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation). The DOM-Based XSS flaw exists in the Tumult Hype Animations plugin, which is used to embed interactive HTML5 animations created with Tumult Hype into WordPress websites.

The attack requires user interaction to succeed, as the malicious payload is processed client-side within the Document Object Model (DOM). The scope is changed, meaning the vulnerability can affect resources beyond the vulnerable component's security scope. When successfully exploited, attackers can achieve limited impacts on confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected system.

What makes this vulnerability particularly concerning is its combination with CSRF, creating an attack chain where an attacker can trick an authenticated administrator into executing malicious requests that inject XSS payloads.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability lies in insufficient input sanitization within the plugin's JavaScript handling routines. User-controlled data is processed and inserted into the DOM without proper encoding or validation, allowing attackers to craft inputs that break out of the intended context and execute as JavaScript code.

The plugin fails to implement adequate output encoding when rendering user-supplied content, enabling DOM manipulation through malicious payloads. Combined with missing CSRF protections on certain plugin endpoints, attackers can force authenticated users to submit requests containing XSS payloads.

Attack Vector

The attack is network-based and requires user interaction. An attacker would typically:

1. Craft a malicious page containing a CSRF payload targeting the vulnerable plugin endpoint
2. Entice an authenticated WordPress administrator to visit the malicious page
3. The CSRF request executes automatically, injecting the XSS payload into the plugin's stored data
4. When the DOM processes the tainted data, the malicious JavaScript executes in the victim's browser context

The vulnerability is accessible remotely with low attack complexity, though it requires the victim to interact with the attacker's malicious content. The XSS payload executes within the browser's DOM, giving attackers access to session cookies, localStorage, and the ability to perform actions on behalf of the user.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-30461

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected JavaScript execution or browser behavior on WordPress pages containing Hype animations
• Suspicious network requests originating from pages with embedded Tumult Hype content
• Unauthorized modifications to plugin settings or stored animation data
• Session anomalies or unauthorized administrative actions following user visits to external sites

Detection Strategies

• Implement Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to detect and block inline script execution
• Monitor WordPress audit logs for unexpected changes to Tumult Hype Animations plugin settings
• Deploy web application firewalls (WAF) with XSS detection signatures targeting DOM-based attacks
• Review browser console logs for JavaScript errors or unexpected script executions on affected pages

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable WordPress security logging to track plugin configuration changes
• Monitor for CSRF attack patterns in web server logs, particularly requests to plugin endpoints
• Implement client-side security monitoring to detect DOM manipulation attempts
• Review referrer headers for suspicious cross-origin requests to administrative endpoints

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-30461

Immediate Actions Required

• Update Tumult Hype Animations plugin to a version newer than 1.9.11 when a patched version becomes available
• Temporarily disable the Tumult Hype Animations plugin if it is not essential to site functionality
• Implement a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with XSS and CSRF protection rules
• Educate administrators about the risks of visiting untrusted websites while authenticated to WordPress

Patch Information

Security details and patch information are available through the Patchstack Security Advisory. Website administrators should monitor the WordPress plugin repository and Tumult Inc's official channels for security updates addressing this vulnerability.

Workarounds

• Implement strict Content Security Policy headers to prevent inline script execution
• Add CSRF token validation at the server level using WordPress nonces for all plugin form submissions
• Restrict plugin administrative access to trusted IP addresses only
• Consider using a static HTML export of Hype animations rather than the dynamic WordPress plugin until patched

# WordPress Content Security Policy configuration example
# Add to wp-config.php or .htaccess
# This helps mitigate XSS by restricting script sources

# Apache .htaccess configuration
Header set Content-Security-Policy "default-src 'self'; script-src 'self' 'unsafe-inline' https://cdn.tumult.com; object-src 'none';"

# Or add to functions.php
# add_action('send_headers', function() {
#     header("Content-Security-Policy: default-src 'self'; script-src 'self' https://cdn.tumult.com; object-src 'none';");
# });