CVE-2024-52467 Overview
CVE-2024-52467 is a reflected Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the August Infotech AI Responsive Gallery Album plugin for WordPress. The flaw affects all versions up to and including 1.4. It stems from improper neutralization of user-supplied input during web page generation [CWE-79]. An unauthenticated attacker can craft a malicious URL that, when clicked by a victim, executes arbitrary JavaScript in the victim's browser session under the context of the vulnerable site.
Critical Impact
Successful exploitation allows attackers to execute arbitrary script in a victim's browser, enabling session theft, credential harvesting, or redirection to attacker-controlled infrastructure when an authenticated administrator visits a crafted link.
Affected Products
- August Infotech AI Responsive Gallery Album plugin for WordPress
- All versions from initial release through 1.4
- WordPress sites with the ai-responsive-gallery-album plugin installed and active
Discovery Timeline
- 2024-12-02 - CVE-2024-52467 published to NVD
- 2026-04-23 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2024-52467
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability is a reflected XSS issue in the AI Responsive Gallery Album WordPress plugin. The plugin accepts user-controlled input via HTTP request parameters and reflects that input into the rendered HTML response without proper sanitization or output encoding. Because the payload is reflected immediately in the server response, an attacker must trick a user into clicking a specially crafted URL for the script to execute.
The issue is classified under [CWE-79], Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation. The CVSS vector indicates the attack requires user interaction and crosses a trust boundary, with limited impact to confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The EPSS score is 0.084%, reflecting low observed exploitation activity in the wild.
Root Cause
The plugin fails to apply WordPress sanitization functions such as esc_html(), esc_attr(), or sanitize_text_field() to request parameters before echoing them back into the page. This allows raw HTML and JavaScript characters supplied by the attacker to be rendered as executable markup in the browser.
Attack Vector
The attack is delivered over the network without authentication. An attacker constructs a URL targeting a vulnerable endpoint of the plugin and embeds a JavaScript payload in a reflected parameter. The attacker then distributes this URL through phishing emails, malicious advertisements, or social engineering. When a victim, particularly an authenticated administrator, follows the link, the payload executes in their browser. Consequences include session cookie theft, forced administrative actions, defacement, or pivoting to further attacks against the WordPress backend.
Technical details are documented in the Patchstack Vulnerability Report.
Detection Methods for CVE-2024-52467
Indicators of Compromise
- HTTP requests to ai-responsive-gallery-album plugin endpoints containing URL-encoded <script>, onerror=, onload=, or javascript: payloads in query parameters
- Unexpected outbound requests from administrator browsers to unknown domains shortly after visiting plugin pages
- WordPress access logs showing referrer chains from external phishing domains to plugin URLs
Detection Strategies
- Inspect web server access logs for query strings containing common XSS payload signatures targeting plugin paths
- Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) ruleset that flags reflected XSS patterns in requests to WordPress plugin endpoints
- Correlate administrator login events with subsequent anomalous administrative actions performed within the same session
Monitoring Recommendations
- Monitor WordPress audit logs for unexpected plugin or theme installations following administrator browsing activity
- Alert on new administrator accounts or privilege changes that occur without a corresponding authenticated change request
- Track browser telemetry for script execution from non-standard origins on WordPress admin pages
How to Mitigate CVE-2024-52467
Immediate Actions Required
- Identify all WordPress installations using the AI Responsive Gallery Album plugin and inventory the installed versions
- Deactivate and remove the plugin on any site running version 1.4 or earlier until a patched release is verified
- Force a password reset and session invalidation for all administrator accounts that may have visited suspicious links
Patch Information
At the time of publication, the vendor advisory referenced via the Patchstack Vulnerability Report lists affected versions through 1.4. Administrators should consult the plugin repository for any newer release addressing this issue and apply updates immediately once available.
Workarounds
- Remove or deactivate the ai-responsive-gallery-album plugin until a fixed version is released
- Deploy WAF rules that block requests containing reflected XSS payloads targeting the plugin's endpoints
- Implement a strict Content Security Policy (CSP) on the WordPress site to limit the impact of injected inline scripts
- Restrict administrator access to trusted networks and require multi-factor authentication to reduce phishing impact
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
