CVE-2024-37117
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages generated by Uncanny Automator Pro, which could execute in users' browsers. It affects WordPress sites using Uncanny Automator Pro plugin versions up to 5.3. The vulnerability is reflected XSS, meaning the malicious input is immediately returned in the server response.
💻 Affected Systems
- Uncanny Automator Pro WordPress Plugin
📦 What is this software?
Uncanny Automator by Uncannyowl
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Attackers could steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, perform actions on behalf of authenticated users, or deface websites.
Likely Case
Session hijacking leading to unauthorized access, credential theft, or malicious redirection.
If Mitigated
Minimal impact if input validation and output encoding are properly implemented.
🎯 Exploit Status
Reflected XSS typically requires user interaction (clicking a malicious link) but is straightforward to exploit.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 5.4 or later
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Log into WordPress admin panel. 2. Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins. 3. Find Uncanny Automator Pro. 4. Click 'Update Now' if available. 5. Alternatively, download latest version from vendor and upload via FTP.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Input Validation Filter
allImplement server-side input validation to sanitize user inputs before processing.
Add input sanitization in affected plugin files using WordPress functions like sanitize_text_field() or esc_html()
Content Security Policy
allImplement CSP headers to restrict script execution sources.
Add to .htaccess: Header set Content-Security-Policy "default-src 'self'; script-src 'self'"
Or add to WordPress functions.php: header("Content-Security-Policy: default-src 'self'; script-src 'self'");
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Disable Uncanny Automator Pro plugin until patched
- Implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to block XSS payloads
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check WordPress admin > Plugins > Uncanny Automator Pro version. If version is 5.3 or lower, it's vulnerable.Check Version:
wp plugin list --name=uncanny-automator-pro --field=version (WP-CLI) or check WordPress admin plugins pageVerify Fix Applied:
Confirm plugin version is 5.4 or higher in WordPress admin panel.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual GET/POST requests with script tags or JavaScript in parameters
- Multiple 400/500 errors from plugin endpoints
Network Indicators:
- HTTP requests containing <script>, javascript:, or encoded XSS payloads in query strings
SIEM Query:
source="web_logs" AND (uri="*uncanny-automator*" OR uri="*automator*") AND (query="*<script>*" OR query="*javascript:*" OR query="*onerror=*" OR query="*onload=*")🔗 References
- https://patchstack.com/database/vulnerability/uncanny-automator-pro/wordpress-uncanny-automator-pro-plugin-5-3-reflected-cross-site-scripting-xss-vulnerability?_s_id=cve
- https://patchstack.com/database/vulnerability/uncanny-automator-pro/wordpress-uncanny-automator-pro-plugin-5-3-reflected-cross-site-scripting-xss-vulnerability?_s_id=cve
