CVE-2022-0200 in Portfolio Post Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 02/14/2022
Themify Portfolio Post WordPress plugin before 1.1.7 does not sanitise and escape the num_of_pages parameter before outputting it back the response of the themify_create_popup_page_pagination AJAX action (available to any authenticated user), leading to a Reflected Cross-Site Scripting
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/17/2022
The vulnerability CVE-2022-0200 affects the Themify Portfolio Post WordPress plugin version 1.1.6 and earlier, representing a critical security flaw that exposes authenticated users to reflected cross-site scripting attacks. This issue stems from insufficient input validation and output sanitization within the plugin's AJAX handling mechanism, specifically targeting the num_of_pages parameter. The vulnerability exists in the themify_create_popup_page_pagination AJAX action which is accessible to any authenticated user, making it particularly dangerous as it does not require administrative privileges to exploit.
The technical flaw manifests when the plugin fails to properly sanitise and escape the num_of_pages parameter before incorporating it into the HTTP response. This parameter is directly reflected back to the user's browser without adequate security measures, allowing malicious actors to inject arbitrary JavaScript code through crafted input values. The vulnerability falls under CWE-79 which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting flaws, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 related to phishing with social engineering. When an authenticated user interacts with the vulnerable plugin functionality, the malicious script executes within their browser context, potentially compromising their session or enabling further attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple XSS exploitation as it creates a persistent attack vector that can be leveraged for session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites. Since any authenticated user can trigger this vulnerability, it significantly broadens the attack surface, particularly in environments where multiple users have access to the WordPress administration. The reflected nature of the vulnerability means that the malicious payload must be delivered through a specially crafted URL or request that includes the XSS payload, which could be embedded in various plugin interfaces or administrative panels. Attackers could potentially craft malicious URLs that, when visited by an authenticated user, would execute malicious scripts within that user's browser context, potentially compromising their session cookies or other sensitive data.
Mitigation strategies should include immediate patching to version 1.1.7 or later where the sanitization and escaping mechanisms have been implemented. Additionally, administrators should consider implementing Content Security Policy headers to limit script execution and reduce the impact of successful XSS attempts. Regular security audits of WordPress plugins should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities, and user permissions should be carefully managed to minimize the attack surface. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of input validation and output escaping in web applications, particularly when handling user-supplied data in AJAX responses. Organizations should also implement proper security monitoring to detect unusual AJAX activity patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. This vulnerability serves as a reminder of the necessity for comprehensive security testing and the importance of maintaining up-to-date software components to prevent exploitation of known vulnerabilities.