# CVE-2024-12588: Cross-site scripting in Shortcodes and extra features for Phlox theme

> Authenticated contributors can inject arbitrary scripts via the Staff widget, leading to stored XSS execution for other users.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.4 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 21 Dec 2024
- **Updated:** 8 Apr 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-x8fh-p4ff-68cv

## What is CVE-2024-12588?

CVE-2024-12588 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in averta Shortcodes and extra features for Phlox theme, published on 21 Dec 2024. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The Shortcodes and extra features for Phlox theme plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via the plugin's Staff widget in all versions up to, and including, 2.17.2 due to insufficient input sanitization and output escaping on user supplied attributes. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with contributor-level access and above, to inject arbitrary web scripts in pages that will execute whenever a user accesses an injected page.

Weakness: CWE-79 (Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-12588?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Averta Shortcodes and Extra Features for Phlox Theme.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-12588?

No fix has been published for CVE-2024-12588 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2024-12588 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-12588 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in averta Shortcodes and extra features for Phlox theme

- [CVE-2022-3359](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-3359/): Shortcodes and extra features for Phlox theme < 2.10.7 - PHP Objection Injection (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2023-37888](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-37888/): WordPress Phlox Core Elements plugin <= 2.14.0 - Unauthenticated Local File Inclusion vulnerability (high 7.6)
- [CVE-2023-7064](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-7064/): Deserialization in Shortcodes and extra features for Phlox theme (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2023-50368](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-50368/): WordPress Shortcodes and extra features for Phlox theme Plugin <= 2.15.2 is vulnerable to Cross Site Scripting (XSS) (medium 6.5)
- [CVE-2024-9545](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-9545/): Cross-site scripting in Shortcodes and extra features for Phlox theme (medium 6.4)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2024-12588 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-12588 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in averta Shortcodes and extra features for Phlox theme, published on 21 Dec 2024. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-12588 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: averta Shortcodes and extra features for Phlox theme. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-12588/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-12588/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-12588
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-12588
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-12588

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-12588/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.