CVE-2022-0626 in Advanced Admin Search Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 06/13/2022
The Advanced Admin Search WordPress plugin through 1.1.2 does not sanitize and escape some parameters before outputting them back in an admin page, leading to a Reflected Cross-Site Scripting.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/13/2022
The Advanced Admin Search WordPress plugin version 1.1.2 contains a critical reflected cross-site scripting vulnerability that arises from insufficient sanitization and escaping of user-supplied parameters within the administrative interface. This flaw exists in the plugin's handling of input data that is subsequently reflected back to users without proper output encoding, creating an avenue for malicious actors to inject arbitrary JavaScript code. The vulnerability specifically affects the admin pages where the plugin displays search results and parameters, making it exploitable when administrators access manipulated URLs containing malicious payloads.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from the plugin's failure to implement proper input validation and output escaping mechanisms for parameters that are directly incorporated into HTML responses. When an administrator visits a page containing unescaped user input, the browser executes any injected JavaScript code within the context of the admin session, potentially allowing attackers to perform actions with administrative privileges. This represents a classic reflected xss vulnerability where the malicious payload is delivered via a crafted URL that, when accessed by an administrator, executes the attacker's code in the victim's browser.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can lead to complete administrative compromise of WordPress installations. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could steal administrator session cookies, modify plugin settings, access sensitive data, or even install malicious plugins to maintain persistent access. The reflected nature of the vulnerability means that the attack requires the administrator to click on a malicious link, but once executed, the consequences can be severe as the attacker operates within the privileged administrative context of the WordPress installation. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-79 which describes improper neutralization of input during web page generation, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for spearphishing attachments or links.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability include immediate patching of the Advanced Admin Search plugin to version 1.1.3 or later, which addresses the sanitization issues in the affected code. Administrators should also implement additional security measures such as restricting access to administrative interfaces through IP whitelisting, implementing web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious payloads, and conducting regular security audits of installed plugins. The principle of least privilege should be enforced by ensuring that only authorized personnel have access to administrative functions, and that all user inputs are properly validated and escaped before being processed or displayed. Additionally, monitoring for suspicious access patterns and implementing content security policies can help reduce the risk of successful exploitation, though these measures serve as defensive layers rather than primary fixes for the underlying vulnerability.