CVE-2024-52388: Hebrew Date Plugin CSRF Vulnerability

CVE-2024-52388 Overview

CVE-2024-52388 is a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in the mikeage Hebrew Date WordPress plugin (hebrewdates) that chains into Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS). The flaw affects all versions of the plugin up to and including 2.1.0. An attacker can craft a malicious request that, when triggered by an authenticated administrator visiting an attacker-controlled page, injects persistent JavaScript into plugin settings. The injected payload then executes in the browser of any user who loads the affected page.

Critical Impact
Successful exploitation lets an unauthenticated attacker store arbitrary JavaScript in a WordPress site by tricking a logged-in administrator, enabling session theft, account takeover, and further site compromise.

Affected Products

mikeage Hebrew Date WordPress plugin (hebrewdates)
All versions from n/a through <= 2.1.0
WordPress sites with the plugin installed and active

Discovery Timeline

2024-11-19 - CVE-2024-52388 published to the National Vulnerability Database (NVD)
2026-04-23 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-52388

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability combines two weaknesses into a single exploit chain. First, the Hebrew Date plugin processes state-changing administrative requests without verifying a valid anti-CSRF token (WordPress nonce). Second, the plugin fails to sanitize or escape user-supplied input before persisting it and later rendering it in the page output. The classification under [CWE-352] Cross-Site Request Forgery identifies the missing request origin verification as the root cause that enables the downstream Stored XSS.

The combined chain is dangerous because the attacker does not need plugin credentials. They only need an authenticated administrator to load an attacker-controlled URL while logged in to WordPress. The forged request submits attacker-controlled HTML or JavaScript to a plugin setting that accepts it without validation. Once stored, the script executes for every visitor who renders the affected output, expanding impact across sessions and users.

Root Cause

The plugin's administrative request handlers lack nonce verification through functions such as check_admin_referer() or wp_verify_nonce(). Combined with the absence of output escaping using esc_html(), esc_attr(), or wp_kses(), attacker-controlled input is written to the database and reflected back into the DOM as executable script.

Attack Vector

The attack is delivered over the network and requires user interaction from an authenticated administrator. The attacker hosts a page containing an auto-submitting form or fetch request targeting a vulnerable plugin endpoint. When the administrator visits that page, their browser submits the request with valid authentication cookies, persisting the malicious payload. No code example is reproduced here; refer to the Patchstack Vulnerability Report for technical details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-52388

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected <script> tags, onerror=, or onload= handlers stored in Hebrew Date plugin options within the wp_options table.
Outbound HTTP requests from administrator browsers to unfamiliar domains after visiting external links.
New or modified WordPress administrator accounts created shortly after an admin loaded an external page.
Web server access logs showing POST requests to plugin admin endpoints with Referer headers pointing to third-party domains.

Detection Strategies

Audit the wp_options table and plugin configuration entries for HTML or JavaScript content that should contain only plain text.
Monitor WordPress audit logs for plugin setting changes that lack a corresponding administrator session activity trail.
Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) rule to flag POST requests to plugin endpoints missing valid _wpnonce parameters.

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable Content Security Policy (CSP) reporting to capture script execution from unexpected sources in the WordPress admin and front end.
Forward WordPress, web server, and WAF logs to a centralized SIEM for correlation of CSRF and XSS indicators.
Alert on administrator account modifications, role changes, and unscheduled plugin or theme file edits.

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-52388

Immediate Actions Required

Update the Hebrew Date plugin to a version higher than 2.1.0 once the maintainer publishes a fixed release.
Deactivate and remove the hebrewdates plugin until a patched version is verified and installed.
Force a password reset for all WordPress administrator accounts and invalidate active sessions.
Review the wp_options table and plugin settings to remove any injected script payloads.

Patch Information

At the time of NVD publication, the vulnerability affects Hebrew Date through <= 2.1.0. Administrators should consult the Patchstack Vulnerability Report for the current patch status and apply the vendor-supplied update when available.

Workarounds

Restrict access to /wp-admin/ by IP allowlist at the web server or WAF layer to reduce CSRF exposure.
Deploy a WAF ruleset that requires a valid Referer and Origin header on WordPress admin POST requests.
Enforce a strict Content Security Policy that disallows inline scripts on WordPress pages where the plugin output is rendered.
Require administrators to use a dedicated browser profile or session for WordPress administration to limit cross-site request exposure.

bash

# Configuration example: disable the plugin via WP-CLI until patched
wp plugin deactivate hebrewdates
wp plugin delete hebrewdates