CVE-2024-54275: CSV to html Plugin XSS Vulnerability

CVE-2024-54275 Overview

CVE-2024-54275 is a reflected Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the wibergsweb CSV to html WordPress plugin. The flaw affects all plugin versions up to and including 3.08. It stems from improper neutralization of user-supplied input during web page generation, classified as [CWE-79]. An attacker can craft a malicious URL containing JavaScript payloads. When a victim clicks the link, the payload executes in their browser within the context of the vulnerable WordPress site.

Critical Impact

Successful exploitation allows attackers to execute arbitrary JavaScript in a victim's browser, enabling session hijacking, credential theft, and unauthorized actions on behalf of authenticated users including administrators.

Affected Products

• wibergsweb CSV to html WordPress plugin versions up to and including 3.08
• WordPress sites with the vulnerable plugin installed and activated
• Any user session interacting with crafted URLs targeting the plugin

Discovery Timeline

• 2024-12-13 - CVE-2024-54275 published to the National Vulnerability Database (NVD)
• 2026-04-23 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-54275

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability is a reflected XSS condition in the CSV to html plugin. The plugin processes request parameters and reflects them back into the rendered HTML response without applying adequate output encoding or input sanitization. An attacker who tricks a user into visiting a crafted URL can inject arbitrary HTML and JavaScript into the page. The injected script executes with the same origin and session privileges as the targeted user.

The attack requires user interaction, typically through phishing or social engineering. Because the vulnerability operates network-wide and requires no authentication, any visitor of the affected WordPress site is a potential target. When the target is a logged-in administrator, the attacker can perform privileged actions including creating accounts, modifying content, or installing malicious plugins.

Root Cause

The root cause is missing or inadequate output encoding on user-controlled parameters processed by the plugin. The plugin code paths that handle CSV-to-HTML conversion concatenate request input directly into HTML output. The absence of context-aware escaping (such as esc_html(), esc_attr(), or wp_kses()) allows raw <script> tags and event handlers to reach the browser.

Attack Vector

Exploitation occurs over the network through a victim's browser. The attacker constructs a URL pointing to a vulnerable endpoint of the CSV to html plugin and embeds JavaScript payloads in the affected parameter. The attacker distributes the URL via email, chat, or malicious websites. Upon click, the victim's browser renders the response and executes the injected script under the WordPress site's origin. See the Patchstack WordPress Vulnerability advisory for further technical context.

No verified public exploit code is available. The vulnerability mechanism follows standard reflected XSS patterns where an unsanitized GET or POST parameter is echoed into the response body.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-54275

Indicators of Compromise

• Web server access logs containing requests to CSV to html plugin endpoints with parameters holding <script>, onerror=, onload=, or javascript: strings
• URL parameters containing URL-encoded payloads such as %3Cscript%3E or %22%3E%3Csvg
• Outbound browser requests from administrator sessions to unfamiliar domains shortly after clicking external links
• New or modified WordPress administrator accounts following suspicious admin browsing activity

Detection Strategies

• Inspect HTTP request logs for known XSS payload patterns targeting plugin parameters
• Deploy Content Security Policy (CSP) reporting endpoints to capture violation reports from injected scripts
• Correlate phishing-style referrers with WordPress admin panel access events
• Use static analysis on the plugin source to confirm vulnerable parameter reflection paths

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with OWASP Core Rule Set in blocking mode for XSS signatures
• Forward WordPress and web server logs to a centralized SIEM with alerting on XSS-indicative tokens
• Monitor for unexpected privilege changes, new admin user creation, and plugin installation events
• Track sessions where an administrator visits the site via an external referrer carrying long query strings

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-54275

Immediate Actions Required

• Disable or remove the CSV to html plugin until a patched version is confirmed installed
• Audit WordPress user accounts for unauthorized administrators created during the exposure window
• Force password resets and invalidate active sessions for all privileged WordPress users
• Apply WAF rules blocking XSS payloads against plugin endpoints as a compensating control

Patch Information

No confirmed fixed version is published in the available CVE data. The advisory indicates the issue affects CSV to html from n/a through <= 3.08. Administrators should consult the Patchstack advisory and the plugin's WordPress.org page for the latest remediated release. Replace the plugin with a maintained alternative if no fix is forthcoming.

Workarounds

• Deactivate the plugin via the WordPress admin console under Plugins > Installed Plugins
• Restrict access to WordPress admin paths by IP allowlisting through the web server or WAF
• Implement a strict Content Security Policy that disallows inline scripts and unknown script sources
• Train administrators to avoid clicking unsolicited links pointing to the WordPress site

# Apache mod_security rule example to block common XSS payloads on plugin endpoints
SecRule REQUEST_URI "@contains /wp-content/plugins/csv-to-html/" \
    "chain,deny,status:403,id:1054275,msg:'Block XSS attempt on CSV to html plugin'"
SecRule ARGS "@rx (?i)(<script|onerror=|onload=|javascript:)" "t:urlDecodeUni,t:lowercase"