CVE-2024-3603
📋 TL;DR
The OSM – OpenStreetMap WordPress plugin has a stored cross-site scripting vulnerability in versions up to 6.0.2. Authenticated attackers with contributor-level access or higher can inject malicious scripts via the 'osm_map' shortcode attributes, which execute when users view compromised pages. This affects all WordPress sites using vulnerable versions of the plugin.
💻 Affected Systems
- OSM – OpenStreetMap WordPress Plugin
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Attackers could steal admin credentials, deface websites, redirect users to malicious sites, or install backdoors for persistent access.
Likely Case
Attackers inject malicious scripts to steal user session cookies, perform actions on behalf of users, or display unwanted content.
If Mitigated
With proper user role management and input validation, impact is limited to low-privileged user account compromise.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires authenticated access with contributor privileges or higher. The vulnerability is in the 'theme' attribute of the 'osm_map' shortcode.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 6.0.3
Vendor Advisory: https://wordpress.org/plugins/osm/
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Log into WordPress admin panel. 2. Navigate to Plugins → Installed Plugins. 3. Find 'OSM – OpenStreetMap' plugin. 4. Click 'Update Now' if update is available. 5. Alternatively, download version 6.0.3+ from WordPress plugin repository and manually update.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Remove Contributor Role Access
allTemporarily restrict contributor-level users from creating or editing posts until patch is applied.
Disable Plugin
linuxDeactivate the OSM plugin if not essential for site functionality.
wp plugin deactivate osm
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict user role management to limit contributor accounts
- Add web application firewall rules to block XSS payloads in shortcode attributes
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check WordPress admin panel → Plugins → Installed Plugins for OSM plugin version. If version is 6.0.2 or lower, you are vulnerable.Check Version:
wp plugin list --name=osm --field=versionVerify Fix Applied:
After updating, verify plugin version shows 6.0.3 or higher in WordPress admin panel.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual POST requests to wp-admin/post.php with 'osm_map' shortcode containing script tags
- Multiple failed login attempts followed by successful contributor-level login
Network Indicators:
- Outbound connections to suspicious domains from your WordPress server
- Unusual JavaScript payloads in HTTP requests
SIEM Query:
source="wordpress.log" AND ("osm_map" AND ("<script" OR "javascript:" OR "onerror="))