CVE-2024-1636 - Potential Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) in Page Editing Areas — Exclusive Deep Dive & Exploit Example

CVE-2024-1636 is a recently disclosed security vulnerability affecting the page editing interface in popular content management systems (CMS), including (but not limited to) certain versions of plugins for WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal. The core issue lies in improper sanitization of user-supplied content, allowing attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code, otherwise known as a Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) attack.

In this post, we’ll break down what CVE-2024-1636 is, why it matters, and—exclusively for our readers—show you a proof-of-concept example of exploitation, plus give you clear steps to identify and fix this vulnerability in your own environment.

What is CVE-2024-1636?

CVE-2024-1636 affects the WYSIWYG ("What You See Is What You Get") editing components used by many web platforms. Attackers can inject scripts or HTML that is then rendered by unsuspecting users, typically site admins or editors. This can lead to session hijacking, credential theft, or the distribution of malware.

Official References & Resources

- CVE Official Entry
- NVD Entry
- WordPress Plugin Vulnerability Database _(If affected)_

User Trust Impact: XSS can be used to steal login cookies, redirect editors, or deface pages.

- Automated Exploitation: With tools like XSStrike, attackers can quickly identify and exploit vulnerable instances.
- Persistent Problem: Attackers can store malicious scripts within the page content, waiting for privileged users to visit and unknowingly trigger the injected code.

Vulnerable Code Example

Here’s a fictional but very realistic snippet of backend PHP code common in many open-source CMS setups:

// Vulnerable code in page_edit.php
$page_content = $_POST['editor_content'];
save_page_content($page_content);

The code above saves user-supplied content straight to the database without sanitizing or escaping potentially harmful markup or scripts. Later, this content is rendered to admins and visitors when the page loads.

If an attacker submits

<script>alert('XSS by CVE-2024-1636!');</script>

Anyone loading the edited page will see an alert, meaning the script executes in their browser.

Exploit: Proof-of-Concept

Let’s say there’s a page editing form at https://vulnerable-cms.com/admin/edit-page.php. An attacker logs in or leverages another vulnerability to access this area.

In the rich text editor (or even raw field), the attacker pastes

<img src="x" onerror="alert('Your session belongs to me!')">

Impact:

When any administrator or editor opens the page for review or further editing, the script runs. If the script was more advanced (for example, using fetch() to exfiltrate cookies or tokens), the attacker could take over accounts.

How to Fix CVE-2024-1636

a) Sanitize Input and Output:
Always sanitize and escape user-supplied content before storing or rendering it.

PHP Fix Example (WordPress Style)

// Better approach
$page_content = wp_kses_post($_POST['editor_content']);
save_page_content($page_content);

wp_kses_post() documentation »

b) Use HTML Purifier (Generic PHP Projects)

require_once 'htmlpurifier/library/HTMLPurifier.auto.php';
$config = HTMLPurifier_Config::createDefault();
$purifier = new HTMLPurifier($config);
$clean_html = $purifier->purify($_POST['editor_content']);
save_page_content($clean_html);

HTMLPurifier

c) Keep Your CMS Updated
Major software like WordPress and Joomla release security patches regularly. Apply them early.

Manual Test:

Create a test user, submit <script>alert("CVE-2024-1636");</script> in a page section, and check if the alert pops for admin/editor accounts.

Automated Scanners:

Use OWASP ZAP or Burp Suite Community. Run a crawl&scan against your site’s editing components.

Conclusion

CVE-2024-1636 XSS attacks in page editing components put both your users and your site data at real risk, especially if trusted editors or admins become compromised. Review your code, sanitize input properly, and don’t trust anything from the frontend—no matter how polished your WYSIWYG editor may seem.

For more details

- CVE Official Entry
- OWASP XSS Guide
- Secure Coding Practices

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Timeline

Published on: 02/28/2024 12:15:47 UTC
Last modified on: 02/28/2024 14:06:45 UTC