CVE-2024-56299 Overview
CVE-2024-56299 is a stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Pektsekye Notify Odoo WordPress plugin (notify-odoo). The flaw affects all plugin versions up to and including 1.0.0. The vulnerability stems from improper neutralization of user input during web page generation, classified under [CWE-79]. An attacker can chain Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) with the input flaw to inject persistent JavaScript payloads into pages rendered by the plugin. Successful exploitation requires user interaction, but the attack travels over the network with no privileges required.
Critical Impact
Stored XSS combined with CSRF allows attackers to execute arbitrary JavaScript in the browsers of administrators or site visitors, enabling session theft, account takeover, and content manipulation.
Affected Products
- Pektsekye Notify Odoo (notify-odoo) WordPress plugin
- All versions from initial release through 1.0.0
- WordPress sites running the vulnerable plugin
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-01-07 - CVE-2024-56299 published to the National Vulnerability Database
- 2026-04-23 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2024-56299
Vulnerability Analysis
The Notify Odoo plugin fails to sanitize and escape user-supplied input before storing it and later rendering it in the page output. An attacker can place crafted JavaScript into a plugin input field, and the payload executes whenever a victim loads the affected page. Because the issue is paired with a CSRF weakness, the attacker does not need direct authenticated access. Instead, the attacker tricks an authenticated administrator into visiting a malicious page that submits a forged request to the plugin. The request persists the malicious payload server-side, escalating a one-time CSRF into a durable XSS foothold.
Root Cause
The root cause is missing output encoding and missing CSRF token validation on plugin endpoints that accept and store user input. The plugin trusts inbound form submissions without verifying request origin and does not pass stored values through escaping functions such as esc_html(), esc_attr(), or wp_kses() before echoing them into the DOM.
Attack Vector
The attack vector is network-based and requires user interaction. An attacker hosts a page that triggers a CSRF request against a WordPress site running notify-odoo. When a logged-in administrator visits the attacker-controlled page, the browser submits the forged request and the malicious script is stored. Any subsequent page load that renders the stored data executes the injected JavaScript under the site origin, crossing the trust boundary into administrative context.
No verified public proof-of-concept code is available. See the Patchstack Vulnerability Database Entry for additional technical context.
Detection Methods for CVE-2024-56299
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected <script>, <iframe>, or onerror= attributes stored in wp_options, wp_postmeta, or plugin-specific tables tied to notify-odoo.
- Outbound requests from administrator browsers to unfamiliar domains after viewing plugin-managed pages.
- New or modified WordPress administrator accounts created shortly after an admin visited an external link.
- HTTP POST requests to notify-odoo endpoints lacking a valid WordPress nonce parameter.
Detection Strategies
- Audit plugin database tables and serialized options for HTML or JavaScript content that should contain only plain text.
- Inspect web server access logs for POST requests to plugin handlers originating from external Referer headers.
- Deploy a Content Security Policy (CSP) in report-only mode to surface inline script execution on plugin-rendered pages.
- Scan WordPress installations with vulnerability scanners that track Patchstack advisories for notify-odoo.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Forward WordPress access and audit logs to a centralized SIEM and alert on anomalous administrator session activity.
- Monitor for changes to plugin settings and option rows containing HTML markup or encoded payloads.
- Track browser console errors and CSP violation reports from administrator sessions for early signs of injected scripts.
How to Mitigate CVE-2024-56299
Immediate Actions Required
- Deactivate and remove the Notify Odoo plugin until a patched version is published by the vendor.
- Rotate WordPress administrator passwords and invalidate active sessions if the plugin has been in use.
- Review stored plugin data and remove any rows containing HTML or script content.
- Restrict administrative access to trusted networks while remediation is in progress.
Patch Information
At the time of NVD publication, no fixed version had been listed for the notify-odoo plugin. The advisory covers versions up to and including 1.0.0. Monitor the Patchstack advisory and the plugin vendor for an updated release that adds nonce validation and output escaping.
Workarounds
- Block access to plugin endpoints via web application firewall (WAF) rules that require a valid Referer and WordPress nonce.
- Apply a strict Content Security Policy that disallows inline scripts on pages rendered by the plugin.
- Require administrators to use separate browsers or browser profiles when managing the WordPress site to reduce CSRF exposure.
- Enforce SameSite=Lax or Strict cookie attributes on WordPress session cookies to limit cross-site request abuse.
# Example: disable the vulnerable plugin via WP-CLI
wp plugin deactivate notify-odoo
wp plugin delete notify-odoo
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
