CVE-2024-56037
📋 TL;DR
This reflected cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the User Referral WordPress plugin allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users. It affects all WordPress sites running User Referral plugin versions up to 8.0. Attackers can steal session cookies, redirect users, or perform actions on their behalf.
💻 Affected Systems
- User Referral Free WordPress 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 steal administrator session cookies, gain full control of WordPress site, install backdoors, deface website, or steal sensitive user data.
Likely Case
Attackers steal user session cookies, redirect visitors to malicious sites, or perform limited actions within user permissions.
If Mitigated
With proper input validation and output encoding, malicious scripts are neutralized before execution, preventing exploitation.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires tricking users into clicking malicious links. No public exploit code is available.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Version after 8.0
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Log into WordPress admin panel. 2. Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins. 3. Find 'User Referral Free'. 4. Click 'Update Now' if available. 5. If no update appears, deactivate and delete the plugin, then install the latest version from WordPress repository.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Input Validation Filter
allAdd custom input validation to sanitize all user inputs before processing.
Add input sanitization functions in plugin code: esc_html(), esc_attr(), wp_kses()
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Disable or remove the User Referral plugin immediately.
- Implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to block XSS payloads in URLs and parameters.
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check WordPress admin panel > Plugins > Installed Plugins for User Referral Free version 8.0 or earlier.Check Version:
wp plugin list --name=user-referral-free --field=versionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify plugin version is higher than 8.0 and test input fields with basic XSS payloads like <script>alert('test')</script>.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual GET/POST requests containing script tags or JavaScript code in parameters
- Multiple failed XSS attempts in web server logs
Network Indicators:
- HTTP requests with suspicious parameters containing <script>, javascript:, or encoded payloads
SIEM Query:
source="web_server_logs" AND ("<script>" OR "javascript:" OR "%3Cscript%3E") AND uri_path="/wp-content/plugins/user-referral-free/"