CVE-2022-0598 in Login with Phone Number Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 08/01/2022
The Login with phone number WordPress plugin through 1.3.7 do not sanitise and escape plugin settings which could allow high privilege users to perform Cross-Site Scripting attacks even when the unfiltered_html capability is disallowed.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/01/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-0598 affects the Login with phone number WordPress plugin version 1.3.7 and earlier, presenting a critical cross-site scripting risk that exploits improper input sanitization and output escaping mechanisms within the plugin's settings management. This vulnerability specifically targets high-privilege users who possess the ability to modify plugin configurations, creating a dangerous attack vector that bypasses WordPress's default security measures designed to prevent unauthorized script execution.
The technical flaw stems from the plugin's failure to properly sanitize user-provided input when processing settings configurations and failing to adequately escape output when rendering these settings back to the user interface. This creates a classic XSS vulnerability where malicious scripts can be injected into the plugin's settings pages and subsequently executed in the context of other users' browsers. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates even when the unfiltered_html capability has been explicitly disallowed for user roles, which represents a fundamental breach of WordPress's core security architecture. According to CWE-79, this vulnerability maps directly to Cross-Site Scripting flaws that occur when untrusted data is improperly incorporated into web pages without adequate validation, sanitization, or escaping.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it enables attackers with high-privilege access to potentially escalate their attacks through session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites. Since the vulnerability affects plugin settings that are typically managed by administrators or editors, an attacker who gains access to these roles can inject malicious code that persists across user sessions and potentially compromises the entire WordPress installation. The attack surface is further expanded by the fact that the vulnerability can be exploited through the plugin's configuration interface, making it accessible to users with minimal reconnaissance requirements.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate plugin updates to versions that address the sanitization and escaping deficiencies, while also implementing additional security measures such as restricting access to plugin settings to only the most trusted administrators. Organizations should consider implementing Content Security Policy headers to limit script execution, monitoring for unusual plugin configuration changes, and conducting regular security audits of installed plugins. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation and output escaping practices, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for command and script injection, as well as T1548.002 for abuse of group policy modification, since compromised plugin settings can effectively provide attackers with persistent access to administrative functions. Security teams should also consider implementing automated scanning tools that can detect similar sanitization issues in custom or third-party WordPress plugins to prevent future occurrences of this class of vulnerability.