CVE-2024-51776: Daily Image Plugin XSS Vulnerability

CVE-2024-51776 Overview

CVE-2024-51776 is a reflected Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Sam Hotchkiss Daily Image WordPress plugin. The flaw affects all plugin versions up to and including 1.0. The plugin fails to properly neutralize user-supplied input during web page generation, classified under [CWE-79]. Attackers can craft malicious links that, when clicked by a victim, execute arbitrary JavaScript in the victim's browser session under the context of the affected WordPress site.

Critical Impact

Successful exploitation enables attackers to execute arbitrary scripts in a victim's browser, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to attacker-controlled infrastructure.

Affected Products

• Sam Hotchkiss Daily Image WordPress plugin
• All versions from initial release through 1.0
• WordPress sites with the vulnerable plugin installed and active

Discovery Timeline

• 2024-11-09 - CVE-2024-51776 published to NVD
• 2026-04-23 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-51776

Vulnerability Analysis

The Daily Image plugin contains a reflected XSS vulnerability stemming from improper sanitization of user-controlled input. The plugin echoes request parameters back into HTML responses without applying output encoding or input validation. An attacker constructs a URL containing JavaScript payloads in vulnerable parameters and delivers it to a target user, typically through phishing or social engineering.

When the victim visits the crafted URL, the injected script executes in the browser with the privileges of the current WordPress session. The vulnerability requires user interaction, as the victim must click the malicious link. The attack crosses security boundaries because the executed script runs in the trusted origin of the WordPress site.

Root Cause

The root cause is missing or insufficient input neutralization during web page generation [CWE-79]. The plugin reflects request data into HTML output without applying functions such as esc_html(), esc_attr(), or wp_kses(). WordPress provides built-in escaping APIs, but the plugin code paths handling the vulnerable parameters do not invoke them before output.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based and requires user interaction. An attacker crafts a malicious URL targeting an endpoint exposed by the Daily Image plugin, embedding a JavaScript payload in a reflected parameter. Delivery typically occurs through phishing emails, malicious advertisements, or links posted on social platforms. When the victim clicks the link while authenticated to the WordPress site, the script executes and can perform actions on behalf of the user, exfiltrate cookies, or modify rendered content. Administrator-level victims expose the site to further compromise, including plugin installation or content modification.

The vulnerability is described in prose only; see the Patchstack advisory for technical specifics.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-51776

Indicators of Compromise

• Web server access logs containing requests to Daily Image plugin endpoints with URL-encoded <script> tags, javascript: URIs, or onerror= / onload= event handlers in query parameters
• Unexpected outbound requests from user browsers to attacker-controlled domains following visits to WordPress pages
• Anomalous administrator session activity such as unauthorized content changes, new user creation, or plugin installations

Detection Strategies

• Inspect HTTP request logs for query strings containing common XSS payload patterns targeting plugin parameters
• Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with rules that flag reflected payloads echoed back in HTTP responses
• Audit installed WordPress plugins against the CVE list to identify hosts running Daily Image version 1.0 or earlier

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable WordPress activity logging to capture administrative actions and correlate them with originating IP addresses
• Forward web server and WordPress logs to a centralized analytics platform for query and alerting on XSS indicators
• Monitor Content Security Policy (CSP) violation reports for inline script execution attempts on pages served by the plugin

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-51776

Immediate Actions Required

• Deactivate and remove the Daily Image plugin from all WordPress installations until a patched version is released
• Audit administrator and editor accounts for unauthorized changes made since the plugin was installed
• Force a password reset and invalidate active sessions for privileged WordPress users

Patch Information

No official patch is documented in the available references. The vulnerability affects all versions through 1.0, and the Daily Image plugin appears to be unmaintained. Review the Patchstack advisory for updates on remediation availability.

Workarounds

• Uninstall the Daily Image plugin and replace it with an actively maintained alternative
• Deploy a WAF with managed rulesets that block reflected XSS payloads targeting WordPress plugin endpoints
• Implement a strict Content Security Policy that disallows inline scripts and restricts script sources to trusted origins
• Restrict access to the WordPress admin area by IP allowlisting where operationally feasible