CVE-2022-1089 in Bulk Edit and Create User Profiles Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 05/16/2022
The Bulk Edit and Create User Profiles WordPress plugin before 1.5.14 does not sanitise and escape the Users Login, which could allow high privilege users such as admin to perform Stored Cross-Site Scripting attacks even when the unfiltered_html capability is disallowed
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/18/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-1089 affects the Bulk Edit and Create User Profiles WordPress plugin, specifically versions prior to 1.5.14. This issue represents a critical security flaw that undermines the plugin's input validation and output sanitization mechanisms, creating a pathway for persistent cross-site scripting attacks within WordPress environments. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it targets high-privilege users, specifically administrators, who possess the ability to manipulate user accounts through bulk operations and profile creation functionalities.
The technical flaw stems from the plugin's failure to properly sanitize and escape user login identifiers during the bulk editing and user profile creation processes. When administrators or other privileged users interact with the plugin's interface to modify multiple user accounts or create new profiles, the input values for user logins are not adequately processed before being stored in the database or rendered in subsequent user interface elements. This inadequate sanitization allows malicious scripts to be embedded within login names, which then get executed whenever the affected pages are loaded or rendered, creating a stored cross-site scripting condition.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it provides attackers with persistent access to compromised WordPress installations. Even when the unfiltered_html capability is properly restricted, which is a standard security practice to prevent non-privileged users from injecting malicious code, the vulnerability allows high-privilege users to circumvent these protections through the plugin's flawed input handling. This creates a sophisticated attack vector where attackers can leverage administrator privileges to inject malicious scripts that persist across user sessions and page reloads, potentially enabling session hijacking, data exfiltration, or further escalation of privileges within the WordPress environment.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which describes Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) conditions, and specifically manifests as a stored XSS vulnerability that operates through the plugin's administrative interfaces. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1059.001 (Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell) and T1566.001 (Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment) as attackers can use the stored scripts to execute malicious commands or deliver additional payloads to compromised systems. The vulnerability also relates to T1213.002 (Data from Information Repositories: Databases) as it could potentially be exploited to access user data stored within the WordPress database through the compromised administrative interface.
Mitigation strategies should prioritize immediate plugin updates to version 1.5.14 or later, which contains the necessary sanitization patches. Administrators should also implement additional security measures including regular security audits of installed plugins, monitoring of user account modifications, and enforcement of strict input validation policies throughout the WordPress installation. Network-level monitoring should be enhanced to detect suspicious script injection patterns, and privileged user sessions should be protected with multi-factor authentication. Organizations should also consider implementing Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to provide additional defense-in-depth against script execution vulnerabilities, while ensuring that all administrative interfaces maintain proper input sanitization and output escaping mechanisms. The vulnerability underscores the critical importance of proper input validation and output escaping in web applications, particularly within content management systems where administrative interfaces provide elevated privilege access to sensitive data and system functions.