CVE-2022-0450 in Menu Image, Icons made easy Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 03/28/2022
The Menu Image, Icons made easy WordPress plugin before 3.0.8 does not have authorisation and CSRF checks when saving menu settings, and does not validate, sanitise and escape them. As a result, any authenticate users, such as subscriber can update the settings or arbitrary menu and put Cross-Site Scripting payloads in them which will be triggered in the related menu in the frontend
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/31/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-0450 affects the Menu Image Icons made easy WordPress plugin version 3.0.7 and earlier, presenting a critical security risk through insufficient access controls and input validation mechanisms. This flaw allows authenticated users with minimal privileges to exploit the plugin's configuration settings, creating a significant vector for cross-site scripting attacks that can compromise frontend user experiences. The vulnerability stems from the plugin's failure to implement proper authorization checks and cross-site request forgery protections when processing menu configuration updates, enabling unauthorized modifications to menu parameters that can contain malicious payloads.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability resides in the plugin's handling of menu settings persistence without adequate sanitization or validation procedures. When authenticated users submit menu configuration changes through the WordPress admin interface, the plugin fails to properly validate the input data, sanitize potentially malicious content, or escape output values before rendering them in the frontend. This lack of input sanitization creates a direct path for attackers to inject malicious scripts that execute in the context of other users' browsers when they interact with affected menu items. The vulnerability specifically targets the plugin's menu saving functionality where user-supplied data is directly incorporated into menu structures without proper security controls.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple XSS execution as it enables attackers to leverage the compromised plugin to perform various malicious activities within the WordPress environment. An attacker with subscriber-level privileges can manipulate menu configurations to inject JavaScript payloads that persist in the frontend, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites. The vulnerability affects any authenticated user account within the WordPress system, making it particularly dangerous as it does not require elevated privileges or specialized attack vectors to exploit. This creates a significant risk for WordPress sites where multiple users have access to the admin interface, as any compromised account could be used to establish persistent XSS attacks.
The security implications of CVE-2022-0450 align with CWE-79 Cross-Site Scripting flaws and represent a violation of the principle of least privilege, as the plugin fails to properly enforce access controls for configuration modifications. From an attack framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript, where attackers can leverage XSS to execute malicious JavaScript code in victims' browsers. The vulnerability also demonstrates weaknesses in the WordPress plugin ecosystem's security validation practices, particularly concerning the handling of user-controllable data within plugin configurations. Organizations should consider implementing comprehensive input validation, output escaping, and access control mechanisms as mitigation strategies to prevent exploitation of similar vulnerabilities in other WordPress plugins.
The remediation approach for this vulnerability requires immediate upgrade to version 3.0.8 or later of the Menu Image Icons made easy plugin, which includes proper authorization checks, CSRF protection, and input sanitization mechanisms. Security teams should also implement additional monitoring for unauthorized menu configuration changes and conduct regular security assessments of WordPress plugins to identify similar vulnerabilities. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the importance of proper security implementation in WordPress plugins, particularly concerning user input handling and access control enforcement. Organizations should establish security guidelines for plugin selection and implementation, ensuring that third-party plugins meet minimum security requirements before deployment in production environments.