CVE-2024-48048 Overview
CVE-2024-48048 is a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in the GabbyKhrmon Wsify Widget plugin for WordPress. The flaw affects all versions of wsify-widget up to and including version 1.0. An attacker can chain the CSRF weakness with a stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) sink to inject persistent malicious JavaScript into the WordPress site. Exploitation requires a victim with administrative privileges to interact with an attacker-controlled link or page. The issue is tracked under CWE-352 and was published to the National Vulnerability Database on October 17, 2024.
Critical Impact
Successful exploitation allows attackers to store arbitrary JavaScript in the WordPress site, leading to session hijacking, administrative account takeover, and content tampering for any visitor or administrator who loads affected pages.
Affected Products
- GabbyKhrmon Wsify Widget plugin for WordPress
- All versions from n/a through 1.0
- WordPress installations that have the plugin activated
Discovery Timeline
- 2024-10-17 - CVE-2024-48048 published to NVD
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2024-48048
Vulnerability Analysis
The Wsify Widget plugin exposes one or more state-changing administrative endpoints that do not validate the origin of incoming requests. The plugin omits or improperly implements WordPress nonce verification (wp_verify_nonce / check_admin_referer) on settings handlers. Because of this gap, any authenticated administrator who loads an attacker-controlled page can be forced to submit a request that updates plugin settings. The attacker-supplied payload is stored by the plugin and later rendered without proper output encoding, producing a stored XSS condition.
This CSRF-to-stored-XSS chain elevates a single click into persistent code execution in the browser context of every user who subsequently loads the affected widget output. The combined attack surface is reflected in the CVSS scope change, where exploitation in the plugin context affects users beyond the plugin itself.
Root Cause
The root cause is missing or insufficient anti-CSRF token validation on plugin configuration handlers, compounded by missing sanitization of stored input. Without nonce checks, the plugin trusts any authenticated browser request. Without output encoding through functions such as esc_html, esc_attr, or wp_kses, supplied data is rendered as live HTML and JavaScript.
Attack Vector
The attack proceeds over the network and requires user interaction. An attacker crafts a malicious HTML page that auto-submits a form to the vulnerable plugin endpoint on the target WordPress site. The attacker then lures a logged-in administrator to visit the page through phishing or a watering-hole technique. The administrator's browser submits the request with valid session cookies, the plugin stores the malicious payload, and the payload executes whenever the widget is rendered.
No exploitation code is publicly verified for this CVE. Refer to the Patchstack advisory for technical details.
Detection Methods for CVE-2024-48048
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected <script>, onerror, or onload attributes in stored Wsify Widget settings within the wp_options table
- WordPress admin POST requests to plugin endpoints lacking a valid _wpnonce parameter in access logs
- Outbound browser requests from administrator sessions to unfamiliar domains shortly after loading widget pages
- New or modified administrator accounts created shortly after suspicious widget configuration changes
Detection Strategies
- Audit the wp_options and plugin-specific database rows for HTML or JavaScript tokens such as <script, javascript:, or event handler attributes.
- Inspect web server access logs for POST requests to wp-admin/admin.php or admin-post.php referencing the Wsify Widget handler without referer headers from the same origin.
- Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) rule that flags state-changing requests to the plugin missing nonce parameters.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Monitor WordPress integrity by comparing plugin files and database widget settings against a known-good baseline.
- Alert on administrator browser sessions exhibiting unexpected DOM modifications or outbound XHR traffic during admin panel use.
- Track plugin version inventory and flag any site still running wsify-widget version 1.0 or earlier.
How to Mitigate CVE-2024-48048
Immediate Actions Required
- Deactivate and remove the Wsify Widget plugin from all WordPress sites until a patched release is confirmed by the vendor.
- Force-logout all administrative sessions and rotate administrator credentials to invalidate any session tokens that may have been captured.
- Review plugin-stored content and remove any unauthorized HTML or JavaScript from widget settings.
- Restrict WordPress administrative access to known IP ranges via web server or WAF rules.
Patch Information
No fixed version is identified in the available vulnerability data. The advisory indicates the issue affects versions through 1.0 with no patched release referenced. Monitor the Patchstack advisory and the plugin repository for an official update.
Workarounds
- Remove the wsify-widget plugin directory from wp-content/plugins/ until a vendor patch is available.
- Apply a WAF rule blocking POST requests to plugin endpoints without a valid WordPress nonce parameter.
- Enforce browser isolation or dedicated admin browsers for WordPress administrators to limit CSRF exposure.
- Require re-authentication for sensitive administrative actions and shorten WordPress session lifetimes.
# Configuration example: disable the vulnerable plugin via WP-CLI
wp plugin deactivate wsify-widget
wp plugin delete wsify-widget
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
