CVE-2024-2536

Rank Math SEO with AI SEO Tools <= 1.0.214 - Authenticated(Contributor+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting via HowTo block attributes

2024-03-21 00:00
Ngô Thiên An (ancorn_)

Strategic Overview

Status
Patched in 1.0.215
Affected Plugin
Rank Math SEO – AI SEO Tools to Dominate SEO Rankings
Affected Version
<= 1.0.214
CVSS
6.4Medium
Weakness type
CWE-20 · Improper Input Validation
CVE
CVE-2024-2536
View all Rank Math SEO – AI SEO Tools to Dominate SEO Rankings vulnerabilities

At a glance

CVE-2024-2536 is a medium-severity Improper Input Validation vulnerability in the Rank Math SEO WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 1.0.214. It carries a CVSS score of 6.4 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity). Exploitation requires an authenticated account at Contributor level or above. The issue is fixed in version 1.0.215; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed March 2024, reported by Ngô Thiên An (ancorn_).

Vulnerability Overview

The Rank Math SEO with AI SEO Tools plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via the HowTo block attributes in all versions up to, and including, 1.0.214 due to insufficient input sanitization and output escaping on user supplied attributes. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with contributor-level access and above, to inject arbitrary web scripts in pages that will execute whenever a user accesses an injected page.

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 interaction from a victim user.

CWE-20: Improper Input Validation

Reaching this weakness in Rank Math SEO <= 1.0.214 takes an account at Contributor level or above. Improper input validation means the application accepts input without confirming it has the form, type or range the code downstream assumes.

The concrete impact depends on where the unvalidated value lands, which is why records in this class range from cosmetic bugs to full compromise. For Rank Math SEO the fix is 1.0.215: builds <= 1.0.214 are affected, anything from 1.0.215 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 1.0.215, or a newer patched version

How does WordSec protect against this?

An attacker needs Contributor access first, so the firewall sees the attempt as traffic from a logged-in account: WordSec's web application firewall inspects request payloads before WordPress loads them. None of that substitutes for the fix: Rank Math SEO 1.0.215 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

  • Firewall
  • Alerts

External References

https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-2536https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/81a82caf-4013-42c4-ad63-4e13bfa4322fhttps://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-2536

Related records

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