dbcve.org
Shortcodes And Extra Features For Phlox ThemeWordPress extension · Averta

CVE-2024-9545

MEDIUM · 5.4 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-12-21
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 2.17.1 or later.
See remediation →
58/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
The Shortcodes and extra features for Phlox theme plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via the plugin's aux_contact_box and aux_gmaps shortcodes in all versions up to, and including, 2.17.0 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.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

The Phlox theme plugin for WordPress contains a stored XSS vulnerability in the aux_contact_box and aux_gmaps shortcodes. These shortcodes fail to properly sanitize user-supplied attributes before outputting them, allowing authenticated attackers with contributor-level access to inject malicious JavaScript that executes whenever users view infected pages.

MitigationUpdate the plugin to version 2.17.1 or later. If no update is available, manually add proper input sanitization (e.g., esc_attr()) and output escaping (e.g., esc_html(), esc_url()) to all user-controlled attributes in the affected shortcode handlers.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Shortcodes And Extra Features For Phlox ThemeWordPress extension
Affected:< 2.17.1

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
Required
Scope
Changed
Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
Low
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Verify plugin installation and version
    Navigate to WordPress admin > Plugins and locate 'Averta Shortcodes And Extra Features For Phlox Theme' (also known as Phlox theme plugin). Check the version number displayed next to the plugin name.
    Affected if The installed version is lower than 2.17.1
  2. Identify usage of vulnerable shortcodes
    Search your WordPress database or content files for occurrences of 'aux_contact_box' and 'aux_gmaps' shortcodes. You can use phpMyAdmin to query the wp_posts table or use a search tool across theme/template files.
    Affected if Either aux_contact_box or aux_gmaps shortcodes are present in your content or templates
  3. Inspect shortcode attributes for unsanitized output
    Examine the content containing these shortcodes. Look at the attribute values being passed (such as address, coordinates, or contact fields) and verify whether they contain raw user input that could include HTML or script tags when rendered.
    Affected if The shortcode attributes contain raw, unescaped user input that could include malicious scripts when viewed
  4. Check for contributor-level user accounts
    In WordPress admin, go to Users > All Users and review the roles assigned. Contributor role has the ability to create and edit content containing these shortcodes.
    Affected if Any user account has Contributor, Author, Editor, or Administrator role enabled

You are affected if the Averta Shortcodes plugin version is below 2.17.1 and your site has content using the aux_contact_box or aux_gmaps shortcodes with contributor-level or higher user accounts present.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 2.17.1 or later
Fixed in 2.17.1
Interim mitigation

Update the plugin to version 2.17.1 or later. If no update is available, manually add proper input sanitization (e.g., esc_attr()) and output escaping (e.g., esc_html(), esc_url()) to all user-controlled attributes in the affected shortcode handlers.

Recommended fix High confidence

Shortcodes and Extra Features for Phlox Theme version 2.17.1

  1. Navigate to WordPress admin dashboard > Plugins > Installed Plugins
  2. Find 'Shortcodes and Extra Features for Phlox Theme' in the plugin list
  3. Click 'Update now' to install version 2.17.1 or higher
  4. After update completes, verify the version number shows 2.17.1 or later

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Shortcodes And Extra Features For Phlox Theme Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
14.0 hours of engineering $2,490
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,984.

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2024-9545 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data