When Regulation Backfires: How a Vulnerable Plugin Led to an XSS Pandemic

What began as a simple WAF bypass challenge on a single website turned into the discovery of a vulnerability affecting thousands of organizations. Join us in the journey of how an accessibility plugin, mandated by regulation, became the perfect vehicle for a widespread XSS vulnerability. We’ll explore the real-world impact of compromised sensitive systems, from government and military to healthcare and finance, showing how a single regulatory requirement led to an ecosystem-wide security breach.

We’ll also analyze the plugin’s source code to understand how and why this XSS vulnerability occurs, along with a behavior analysis that suggests the plugin may also be tracking users without consent, indicating potential malicious intent. Additionally, we’ll share the methodology and tools used to uncover and validate these vulnerabilities at scale.