CVE-2024-54219: AIO Contact Plugin XSS Vulnerability

CVE-2024-54219 Overview

CVE-2024-54219 is an unauthenticated reflected Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the AIO Contact WordPress plugin developed by thehp. The flaw affects all plugin versions up to and including 2.8.1. The vulnerability stems from improper neutralization of user-supplied input during web page generation, classified under [CWE-79]. Attackers can inject arbitrary JavaScript that executes in the browser context of any visitor who interacts with a crafted link or page. The issue is site-wide and requires no authentication, increasing the attack surface across affected WordPress installations.

Critical Impact
Unauthenticated attackers can execute arbitrary JavaScript in victim browsers, enabling session theft, credential harvesting, and administrative account compromise on WordPress sites running AIO Contact through version 2.8.1.

Affected Products

AIO Contact WordPress plugin (aio-contact) versions up to and including 2.8.1
WordPress sites with the AIO Contact plugin installed and activated
Vendor: thehp

Discovery Timeline

2024-12-09 - CVE-2024-54219 published to NVD
2026-04-23 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-54219

Vulnerability Analysis

The AIO Contact plugin fails to sanitize and encode user-controlled input before rendering it within HTML responses. An attacker can craft a URL or request containing JavaScript payloads that the plugin reflects back into the page without proper escaping. When a visitor loads the malicious URL, the injected script executes in their browser within the origin of the vulnerable WordPress site.

The vulnerability is reachable without authentication and affects site-wide functionality, meaning the entry point is not restricted to authenticated user flows. According to the Patchstack WordPress Plugin Advisory, exploitation results in script execution under the site's origin, allowing attackers to access cookies, local storage, and DOM content accessible to that origin.

User interaction is required because the victim must visit the attacker-controlled link. The scope is changed because executed scripts can act on resources beyond the vulnerable component, including administrative session cookies if an authenticated administrator triggers the payload.

Root Cause

The root cause is the absence of output encoding and input sanitization on parameters that the plugin reflects into rendered HTML. The plugin does not apply WordPress functions such as esc_html(), esc_attr(), or wp_kses() to user-supplied data before output.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based and requires user interaction. An attacker crafts a URL containing a JavaScript payload in a vulnerable parameter handled by the plugin. The attacker then distributes the link through phishing email, social media, or comment spam. When a victim clicks the link, the injected script executes within the WordPress site origin. If the victim holds an authenticated session, the script can perform privileged actions such as creating administrator accounts, modifying plugin settings, or exfiltrating session tokens.

No verified public exploit code is currently available. The vulnerability mechanism is described in the Patchstack WordPress Plugin Advisory.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-54219

Indicators of Compromise

HTTP request logs containing URL-encoded JavaScript patterns such as %3Cscript%3E, javascript:, or onerror= targeting AIO Contact plugin endpoints
Unexpected outbound requests from visitor browsers to attacker-controlled domains following clicks on links containing the WordPress site URL
Creation of new WordPress administrator accounts or unauthorized changes to user roles without corresponding admin activity
Modified plugin or theme files containing obfuscated JavaScript on sites running AIO Contact <= 2.8.1

Detection Strategies

Inspect web server access logs for query strings to AIO Contact endpoints containing HTML tags, event handlers, or script-related keywords
Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) ruleset that flags reflected XSS payloads in parameters processed by WordPress plugins
Monitor WordPress audit logs for administrative actions originating from unusual IP addresses or user agents shortly after content interactions
Compare installed plugin versions against the vulnerable range using a software inventory check

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable verbose logging on the WordPress site and forward logs to a centralized analytics platform for correlation
Configure Content Security Policy (CSP) headers and alert on CSP violation reports indicating blocked inline script execution
Track plugin file integrity and alert on changes to aio-contact plugin files outside of scheduled updates
Review referrer headers and click-through patterns for traffic landing on AIO Contact parameters with suspicious payloads

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-54219

Immediate Actions Required

Identify all WordPress installations running the AIO Contact plugin at version 2.8.1 or earlier using an asset inventory query
Update the AIO Contact plugin to the latest available version that addresses CVE-2024-54219 as referenced in the Patchstack advisory
If no patched version is available, deactivate and remove the AIO Contact plugin until a fix is released
Rotate WordPress administrator passwords and invalidate active sessions on sites that may have been exposed

Patch Information

The vendor advisory is published through Patchstack. Site administrators should consult the Patchstack WordPress Plugin Advisory for the fixed version number and upgrade guidance. Update through the WordPress plugin management console or via WP-CLI using wp plugin update aio-contact.

Workarounds

Deploy a WAF rule that blocks requests containing common XSS payload patterns directed at AIO Contact endpoints
Apply a strict Content Security Policy that disallows inline scripts and restricts script sources to trusted origins
Restrict access to the WordPress site using IP allowlisting for administrative paths until the plugin is patched or removed
Educate users and administrators to avoid clicking unsolicited links referencing the WordPress site domain

bash

# Example: identify and remove the vulnerable plugin via WP-CLI
wp plugin list --name=aio-contact --field=version
wp plugin update aio-contact
# If no patched version is available:
wp plugin deactivate aio-contact
wp plugin delete aio-contact