CVE-2024-53736
📋 TL;DR
A Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in the WordPress Custom Shortcode Sidebars plugin allows attackers to perform stored cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks. This affects WordPress sites using the plugin version 1.2 or earlier. Attackers can inject malicious scripts that execute when users visit compromised pages.
💻 Affected Systems
- WordPress Custom Shortcode Sidebars plugin
⚠️ Manual Verification Required
This CVE does not have specific version information in our database, so automatic vulnerability detection cannot determine if your system is affected.
Why? The CVE database entry doesn't specify which versions are vulnerable (no version ranges provided by the vendor/NVD).
🔒 Custom verification scripts are available for registered users. Sign up free to download automated test scripts.
- Review the CVE details at NVD
- Check vendor security advisories for your specific version
- Test if the vulnerability is exploitable in your environment
- Consider updating to the latest version as a precaution
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Attackers could inject persistent malicious scripts that steal administrator credentials, deface websites, redirect visitors to malicious sites, or install backdoors for further compromise.
Likely Case
Attackers create malicious shortcodes that execute JavaScript in visitors' browsers, potentially stealing session cookies or performing actions on behalf of authenticated users.
If Mitigated
With proper CSRF protections and content security policies, the attack surface is reduced, though the vulnerability still exists in the codebase.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires tricking an authenticated user (with plugin access) to visit a malicious page. The CSRF leads to stored XSS payload creation.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 1.3 or later
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Log into WordPress admin panel. 2. Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins. 3. Find 'Custom Shortcode Sidebars'. 4. Click 'Update Now' if available. 5. Alternatively, download version 1.3+ from WordPress repository and manually update.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable Plugin
allTemporarily deactivate the vulnerable plugin until patched
wp plugin deactivate custom-shortcode-sidebars
Implement CSRF Tokens
allAdd CSRF protection to plugin forms if customizing code
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Disable the Custom Shortcode Sidebars plugin completely
- Restrict plugin access to trusted administrators only using role capabilities
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check WordPress admin > Plugins > Installed Plugins for 'Custom Shortcode Sidebars' version 1.2 or earlierCheck Version:
wp plugin get custom-shortcode-sidebars --field=versionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify plugin version is 1.3 or higher in WordPress plugins list📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual POST requests to wp-admin/admin-ajax.php or plugin-specific endpoints
- Unexpected shortcode creation/modification in database logs
Network Indicators:
- CSRF attempts with malicious payloads in referrer headers
- Unexpected JavaScript injection in plugin-related HTTP responses
SIEM Query:
source="wordpress.log" AND ("custom-shortcode-sidebars" OR "admin-ajax.php") AND (POST OR "wp_nonce")