CVE-2022-0149 in WooCommerce Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 02/07/2022
The WooCommerce Stored Exporter WordPress plugin before 2.7.1 was affected by a Reflected Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the woo_ce admin page.
Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/11/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-0149 affects the WooCommerce Stored Exporter WordPress plugin, specifically targeting versions prior to 2.7.1. This issue represents a critical security flaw that exposes WordPress sites to potential cross-site scripting attacks through the plugin's administrative interface. The vulnerability manifests within the woo_ce admin page, which serves as the primary administrative endpoint for managing stored exports within the WooCommerce ecosystem. The affected plugin is widely used for data export operations, making it a potentially attractive target for malicious actors seeking to compromise WordPress installations.
The technical flaw underlying CVE-2022-0149 constitutes a reflected cross-site scripting vulnerability classified under CWE-79, which occurs when user input is not properly sanitized before being reflected back to the user's browser. In this case, the vulnerability exists in the administrative page handling of the woo_ce endpoint where parameters are directly incorporated into HTML output without adequate encoding or validation. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious URLs containing script payloads that are then reflected back to authenticated administrators who visit the compromised page. The reflected nature of this vulnerability means that the malicious script executes in the victim's browser context without requiring persistent storage on the server.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or defacement, as it provides attackers with the capability to escalate privileges within the WordPress administrative environment. When authenticated administrators access the vulnerable page, their browsers execute the injected malicious scripts, potentially allowing attackers to steal session cookies, modify administrative settings, or redirect users to malicious sites. The attack vector requires social engineering to convince administrators to visit malicious URLs, but once successful, the attacker gains significant control over the WordPress installation. This vulnerability particularly affects sites using WooCommerce for e-commerce operations, where administrative access can lead to financial data compromise and inventory manipulation.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2022-0149 involve immediate patching of the WooCommerce Stored Exporter plugin to version 2.7.1 or later, which contains the necessary security fixes to prevent reflected XSS attacks. Organizations should implement comprehensive monitoring of their WordPress installations to identify any instances of the vulnerable plugin version and ensure all administrative users receive security awareness training regarding phishing attempts that may exploit this vulnerability. Network-based defenses such as web application firewalls can provide additional protection by filtering malicious payloads before they reach the vulnerable endpoint. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for initial access through phishing, and T1071.001 for application layer protocol usage in executing malicious code within the browser context. Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments should include checking for outdated plugins and themes that may contain similar reflected XSS vulnerabilities. System administrators must maintain updated security patches across all WordPress components and implement proper input validation and output encoding practices to prevent similar issues in custom-developed applications.