CVE-2024-48023: Restaurant Reservations Widget XSS Flaw

CVE-2024-48023 Overview

CVE-2024-48023 is a reflected Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability [CWE-79] in the rconnect305 Restaurant Reservations Widget plugin for WordPress. The flaw affects all versions of the restaurantconnect-reswidget plugin up to and including version 1.0. Attackers can craft malicious URLs that, when visited by an authenticated or unauthenticated user, execute arbitrary JavaScript in the victim's browser session. The vulnerability stems from improper neutralization of user-supplied input during web page generation. Exploitation requires user interaction, such as clicking a crafted link, and can result in session hijacking, credential theft, or unauthorized actions performed on behalf of the victim.

Critical Impact

Successful exploitation allows attackers to execute arbitrary JavaScript in a victim's browser, leading to session theft, credential harvesting, or administrative action abuse on affected WordPress sites.

Affected Products

• rconnect305 Restaurant Reservations Widget (restaurantconnect-reswidget) WordPress plugin
• All versions from initial release through 1.0
• WordPress sites running the vulnerable plugin

Discovery Timeline

• 2024-10-17 - CVE-2024-48023 published to the National Vulnerability Database (NVD)
• 2026-04-23 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-48023

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability is a reflected XSS issue in the Restaurant Reservations Widget plugin. The plugin reflects user-controlled input back into HTTP responses without applying proper output encoding or input sanitization. When a victim clicks a crafted link containing a malicious payload, the server includes the unsanitized value in the rendered page. The browser then parses the injected script as part of the page's trusted content and executes it.

Reflected XSS in WordPress plugins typically occurs through query parameters consumed by widget rendering logic, AJAX handlers, or shortcode processors. The Patchstack advisory classifies this as a client-side injection issue affecting the plugin's request-handling paths.

Root Cause

The root cause is missing or insufficient sanitization of input before it is echoed into HTML output. WordPress provides functions such as esc_html(), esc_attr(), and wp_kses() to neutralize HTML control characters. The affected plugin does not apply these sanitization primitives to one or more request parameters before reflecting them in the response.

Attack Vector

The attack is delivered over the network and requires user interaction. An attacker crafts a URL pointing to the vulnerable WordPress site with a malicious payload embedded in a parameter the plugin reflects. The attacker then distributes this link through phishing emails, social media, or compromised sites. When a logged-in administrator clicks the link, the injected script runs with the administrator's privileges. The scope is changed because script execution can affect resources beyond the originally vulnerable component, including the broader WordPress administrative session.

No verified public proof-of-concept code exists for this CVE. Refer to the Patchstack Vulnerability Report for additional technical context.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-48023

Indicators of Compromise

• HTTP request logs containing URL parameters with <script>, javascript:, onerror=, or HTML-encoded variants targeting the Restaurant Reservations Widget plugin endpoints
• Unexpected outbound requests from administrator browsers to attacker-controlled domains shortly after clicking external links
• New or modified WordPress administrator accounts created without authorized change records
• Anomalous session activity, including session cookies appearing from unfamiliar IP addresses

Detection Strategies

• Inspect web server access logs for query strings containing common XSS payload patterns targeting plugin URLs containing restaurantconnect-reswidget
• Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) rule set that flags reflected XSS signatures against WordPress plugin paths
• Monitor browser referrer headers and authenticated admin sessions for evidence of cross-origin script execution

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable WordPress audit logging to track administrative actions and content changes tied to specific user sessions
• Forward web server, WAF, and WordPress audit logs to a centralized SIEM for correlation across user sessions and source IPs
• Establish alerting on file integrity changes within wp-content/plugins/ and on creation of new privileged users

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-48023

Immediate Actions Required

• Deactivate and remove the Restaurant Reservations Widget (restaurantconnect-reswidget) plugin until a patched version is published
• Audit WordPress administrator and editor accounts for unauthorized additions or privilege changes
• Rotate session cookies, administrator passwords, and any API keys that may have been exposed through administrator sessions
• Enforce least-privilege access and require multi-factor authentication on all WordPress administrative accounts

Patch Information

At the time of publication, no fixed version is listed in the available advisory. The vulnerability affects the plugin through version 1.0. Site operators should monitor the Patchstack Vulnerability Report and the WordPress plugin repository for an updated release that sanitizes reflected parameters using esc_html(), esc_attr(), or wp_kses() as appropriate.

Workarounds

• Remove the plugin entirely if no patched version is available, and substitute an actively maintained reservations plugin
• Deploy a WAF rule that blocks requests containing script tags, event handler attributes, or javascript: URIs targeting the plugin endpoints
• Implement a strict Content Security Policy (CSP) that disallows inline scripts and restricts script sources to trusted origins
• Train administrators to avoid clicking unsolicited links pointing to the WordPress site, particularly those containing encoded query parameters