CVE-2024-54351 Overview
CVE-2024-54351 is a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in the Thomas K Landis Fancy Roller Scroller WordPress plugin. The flaw enables an attacker to chain CSRF into Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS), persisting malicious JavaScript into the site after a successful request forgery. All versions of fancy-roller-scroller up to and including 1.4.0 are affected.
The weakness is classified under [CWE-352] Cross-Site Request Forgery. Exploitation requires user interaction, typically tricking an authenticated administrator into visiting an attacker-controlled page. Successful exploitation results in arbitrary script execution in the context of any visitor rendering the affected page.
Critical Impact
An attacker can persist malicious JavaScript into a WordPress site by tricking an authenticated administrator into triggering a forged request, leading to stored XSS across all visitors.
Affected Products
- Thomas K Landis Fancy Roller Scroller WordPress plugin
- Versions from n/a through <= 1.4.0
- WordPress sites with the fancy-roller-scroller plugin installed and active
Discovery Timeline
- 2024-12-13 - CVE-2024-54351 published to NVD
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2024-54351
Vulnerability Analysis
The Fancy Roller Scroller plugin fails to validate the origin and authenticity of state-changing HTTP requests. Administrative endpoints accept POST requests without verifying a WordPress nonce or equivalent anti-CSRF token. An attacker can craft a malicious HTML page that submits a forged form to the vulnerable endpoint.
When an authenticated administrator visits the attacker-controlled page, the browser automatically attaches session cookies. The plugin processes the request as legitimate and persists attacker-supplied content into the WordPress database. Because the plugin also fails to sanitize input on storage or escape on output, the injected payload executes as JavaScript when pages are rendered.
This CSRF-to-stored-XSS chain affects both site integrity and visitor confidentiality. Attackers can hijack administrator sessions, deface pages, redirect visitors to malicious infrastructure, or pivot toward credential theft.
Root Cause
The root cause is missing CSRF protection [CWE-352] on plugin configuration handlers. WordPress provides the wp_nonce_field() and check_admin_referer() APIs, but the plugin does not invoke them. Combined with absent output encoding, the missing token check escalates a request forgery into persistent script injection.
Attack Vector
The attack vector is network-based and requires user interaction. An attacker hosts a malicious page containing a hidden form or XMLHttpRequest targeting the vulnerable plugin endpoint. The attacker then lures an authenticated WordPress administrator to that page through phishing or a watering-hole link. Upon page load, the forged request submits attacker-controlled payload data, which the plugin stores and later renders to visitors as executable JavaScript. See the Patchstack WordPress Vulnerability Advisory for additional technical context.
Detection Methods for CVE-2024-54351
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected <script> tags, event handlers, or external JavaScript references in Fancy Roller Scroller configuration fields stored in the wp_options table
- Outbound HTTP requests from visitor browsers to unfamiliar domains shortly after pages containing the plugin output are loaded
- Administrator account activity (settings updates) originating from atypical referrers or unusual user agents
Detection Strategies
- Audit WordPress database entries written by the fancy-roller-scroller plugin for HTML, JavaScript, or encoded payloads
- Inspect web server access logs for POST requests to plugin admin endpoints lacking a same-origin Referer header or valid _wpnonce parameter
- Deploy a web application firewall (WAF) rule that flags state-changing requests to plugin paths without a valid nonce
Monitoring Recommendations
- Monitor WordPress audit logs for unexpected plugin setting changes outside scheduled maintenance windows
- Alert on new outbound DNS lookups from web servers serving pages with the plugin enabled
- Track administrator session activity for cross-site navigation patterns indicative of CSRF lures
How to Mitigate CVE-2024-54351
Immediate Actions Required
- Deactivate and remove the Fancy Roller Scroller plugin until a patched version is confirmed available
- Review and sanitize any content stored by the plugin in the WordPress database to remove injected scripts
- Force a password reset and session invalidation for all WordPress administrator accounts
- Restrict WordPress admin access by IP allowlist where operationally feasible
Patch Information
No fixed version is identified in the advisory at the time of publication. The vulnerability affects Fancy Roller Scroller releases up to and including 1.4.0. Monitor the Patchstack WordPress Vulnerability Advisory for vendor updates and apply any released patch immediately.
Workarounds
- Replace Fancy Roller Scroller with an actively maintained alternative plugin providing equivalent functionality
- Deploy a WAF policy that blocks POST requests to wp-admin plugin endpoints missing a valid _wpnonce parameter
- Enforce a strict Content Security Policy (CSP) that disallows inline scripts and limits script sources to trusted origins
- Require administrators to use a dedicated browser profile for WordPress administration to reduce CSRF exposure
# Example: remove the vulnerable plugin via WP-CLI
wp plugin deactivate fancy-roller-scroller
wp plugin delete fancy-roller-scroller
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
