CVE-2024-3026
📋 TL;DR
The MaxButtons WordPress plugin before version 9.7.8 contains a stored cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability due to insufficient input sanitization. Users with editor-level permissions or higher can inject malicious scripts that execute when other users view affected pages. This affects WordPress sites using vulnerable versions of the MaxButtons plugin.
💻 Affected Systems
- MaxButtons WordPress Plugin
📦 What is this software?
Maxbuttons by Maxfoundry
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
An attacker with editor access could inject malicious scripts that steal administrator credentials, redirect users to malicious sites, or deface the website when viewed by other users.
Likely Case
Malicious editors inject tracking scripts, display unwanted content, or perform limited session hijacking against users who view compromised pages.
If Mitigated
With proper user role management and content review processes, the impact is limited to potential content manipulation by trusted editors.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires editor-level access. Proof of concept details are publicly available in vulnerability databases.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 9.7.8
Vendor Advisory: https://wordpress.org/plugins/maxbuttons/#developers
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Log into WordPress admin panel. 2. Navigate to Plugins → Installed Plugins. 3. Find MaxButtons plugin. 4. Click 'Update Now' if update is available. 5. Alternatively, download version 9.7.8+ from WordPress plugin repository and manually update.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Temporary Role Restriction
allTemporarily restrict editor roles or remove plugin access from users who don't absolutely need it.
Plugin Deactivation
linuxDeactivate MaxButtons plugin until patched if functionality is not critical.
wp plugin deactivate maxbuttons
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict user role management - only grant editor access to absolutely necessary trusted users
- Enable WordPress security plugins with XSS protection features and implement regular content audits
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check WordPress admin → Plugins → Installed Plugins for MaxButtons version. If version is below 9.7.8, system is vulnerable.Check Version:
wp plugin list --name=maxbuttons --field=versionVerify Fix Applied:
Confirm MaxButtons plugin version is 9.7.8 or higher in WordPress admin panel.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual button creation/modification by editor users
- Suspicious script tags in button content or descriptions
Network Indicators:
- External script loads from button content that shouldn't contain scripts
SIEM Query:
source="wordpress" AND (event="plugin_update" AND plugin="maxbuttons" AND version<"9.7.8") OR (event="button_modified" AND user_role="editor")