CVE-2022-0376 in User Meta Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 05/30/2022
The User Meta WordPress plugin before 2.4.3 does not sanitise and escape the Form Name, as well as Shared Field Labels before outputting them in the admin dashboard when editing a form, which could allow high privilege users to perform Cross-Site Scripting attacks even when unfiltered_html is disallowed
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/04/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-0376 affects the User Meta WordPress plugin version 2.4.2 and earlier, presenting a significant cross-site scripting risk that undermines the security posture of WordPress installations. This issue stems from inadequate input sanitization and output escaping mechanisms within the plugin's admin dashboard functionality, specifically when handling form-related metadata. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it targets high-privilege users who typically have elevated permissions and access to sensitive administrative interfaces, making the potential impact more severe than typical XSS flaws.
The technical flaw manifests in the plugin's failure to properly sanitize and escape the Form Name and Shared Field Labels parameters before rendering them in the WordPress admin dashboard interface. When administrators edit forms through the User Meta plugin, the system processes these input values without adequate validation or escaping measures, creating an environment where malicious payloads can be injected and subsequently executed in the context of the administrator's browser session. This weakness directly violates fundamental web security principles and represents a classic XSS vulnerability that can be exploited through the manipulation of form metadata fields.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it enables attackers with access to high-privilege accounts to potentially escalate their malicious activities within the WordPress environment. Even when the WordPress installation has unfiltered_html capability disabled, which normally restricts dangerous HTML content, this vulnerability allows attackers to bypass such protections through the specific input handling flaw. The attack vector requires only that an attacker possess sufficient privileges to edit forms within the User Meta plugin, which is often achievable through compromised administrator credentials or insider threats, making the exploit relatively accessible in environments where administrative access is not adequately protected.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting flaws in web applications, and it can be categorized under ATT&CK technique T1548.001 for privilege escalation through abuse of administrative access. The remediation strategy involves updating to User Meta plugin version 2.4.3 or later, which implements proper input sanitization and output escaping mechanisms. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security measures such as role-based access controls, regular security audits of plugin installations, and monitoring for unusual administrative activities that might indicate exploitation attempts. The fix demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation and output escaping in web applications, particularly within administrative interfaces where the consequences of security flaws can be most severe.