CVE-2024-12626

AutomatorWP <= 5.0.9 - Reflected Cross-Site Scripting via a-0-o-search_field_value

2024-12-18 00:00

Strategic Overview

Status: Patched in 5.1.0
Affected Plugin: AutomatorWP – No-Code Workflow Automation, Integration & Webhooks Plugin, now with AI
Affected Version: <= 5.0.9
CVSS: 9.6Critical
Weakness type: CWE-79 · Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')
CVE: CVE-2024-12626

View all AutomatorWP – No-Code Workflow Automation, Integration & Webhooks Plugin, now with AI vulnerabilities

At a glance

CVE-2024-12626 is a critical-severity Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') vulnerability in the AutomatorWP WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 5.0.9. It carries a CVSS score of 9.6 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity; high confidentiality, integrity, availability impact). Exploitation requires no authentication. The issue is fixed in version 5.1.0; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed December 2024, reported by Vincent Fourcade (vinceMatsui).

Vulnerability Overview

The AutomatorWP – Automator plugin for no-code automations, webhooks & custom integrations in WordPress plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Reflected Cross-Site Scripting via the ‘a-0-o-search_field_value’ parameter in all versions up to, and including, 5.0.9 due to insufficient input sanitization and output escaping. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to inject arbitrary web scripts in pages that execute if they can successfully trick a user into performing an action such as clicking on a link. When used in conjunction with the plugin's import and code action feature, this vulnerability can be leveraged to execute arbitrary code.

Technical Analysis

The vector marks this flaw as remotely reachable over the network, with low attack complexity — no special timing or configuration is needed, and no privileges on the target site. A successful exploit has high impact on confidentiality, integrity, availability — full site compromise territory.

CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')

AutomatorWP <= 5.0.9 carries this weakness at a-0-o-search_field_value, and reaching it takes a caller who can reach the endpoint. Cross-site scripting happens when input from a request is written into a page without being escaped for the context it lands in, so the browser parses attacker-supplied text as markup or script.

Injected script runs with the privileges of whoever views the affected page, which is how these flaws turn into administrator session theft, silent account creation or persistent backdoors in page content. For AutomatorWP the fix is 5.1.0: builds <= 5.0.9 are affected, anything from 5.1.0 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 5.1.0, or a newer patched version

How does WordSec protect against this?

The attempt arrives as an ordinary request to AutomatorWP: WordSec's web application firewall inspects request payloads before WordPress loads them. None of that substitutes for the fix: AutomatorWP 5.1.0 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

Firewall
Alerts

External References

https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-12626 https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/c8abcc7b-6c68-4fc8-81af-e88624e417dd https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-12626

Related records

Same weakness class

Other vulnerabilities in AutomatorWP – No-Code Workflow Automation, Integration & Webhooks Plugin, now with AI

CVSS Vector

9.6

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

Base

Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges RequiredNone
User InteractionRequired
ScopeChanged
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityHigh
AvailabilityHigh

This record contains material that is subject to copyright

CVE Usage: MITRE hereby grants you a perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive, no-charge, royalty-free, irrevocable copyright license to reproduce, prepare derivative works of, publicly display, publicly perform, sublicense, and distribute Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE®). Any copy you make for such purposes is authorized provided that you reproduce MITRE's copyright designation and this license in any such copy.

https://www.cve.org/Legal/TermsOfUse

Defiant hereby grants you a perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive, no-charge, royalty-free, irrevocable copyright license to reproduce, prepare derivative works of, publicly display, publicly perform, sublicense, and distribute this software vulnerability information. Any copy of the software vulnerability information you make for such purposes is authorized provided that you include a hyperlink to this vulnerability record and reproduce Defiant's copyright designation and this license in any such copy.

https://www.wordfence.com/wordfence-intelligence-terms-and-conditions/