# CVE-2024-9021: Relevanssi < 4.23.1 - Contributor+ Stored XSS

> Contributors can inject malicious scripts via stored XSS in the Relevanssi plugin, potentially leading to account takeover.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.4 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/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:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 8 Oct 2024
- **Updated:** 9 Oct 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-h3fm-h666-8g3f

## What is CVE-2024-9021?

CVE-2024-9021 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in Unknown Relevanssi, published on 8 Oct 2024. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

In the process of testing the Relevanssi  WordPress plugin before 4.23.1, a vulnerability was found that allows you to implement Stored XSS on behalf of the Contributor+ by embedding malicious script, which entails account takeover backdoor

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

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-9021?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Relevanssi Relevanssi.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-9021?

No fix has been published for CVE-2024-9021 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2024-9021 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2024-9021 exists.

## Other vulnerabilities in Unknown Relevanssi

- [CVE-2016-10949](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-10949/): SQL injection in n/a (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2017-1000225](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-1000225/): Cross-site scripting in n/a (medium 6.1)
- [CVE-2017-1000038](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-1000038/): Cross-site scripting in n/a (medium 6.1)
- [CVE-2024-3214](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-3214/): Relevanssi – A Better Search <= 4.22.1 - Unauthenticated Second Order CSV Injection (medium 5.8)
- [CVE-2018-9034](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-9034/): Cross-site scripting in n/a (medium 5.4)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2024-9021 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-9021 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in Unknown Relevanssi, published on 8 Oct 2024. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2024-9021 exists.

Affected product: Unknown Relevanssi. 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-2024-9021/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-9021/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-9021
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-9021
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-9021

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-9021/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.