CVE-2022-1228 in Opensea Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 04/25/2022
The Opensea WordPress plugin before 1.0.3 does not sanitize and escape some of its settings, like its "Referer address" field, 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 • 04/29/2022
The CVE-2022-1228 vulnerability affects the Opensea WordPress plugin version 1.0.2 and earlier, representing a critical cross-site scripting flaw that undermines the security posture of WordPress installations. This vulnerability specifically targets the plugin's handling of user input within its administrative settings, particularly the "Referer address" field that lacks proper sanitization and escaping mechanisms. The flaw enables attackers with high privilege user accounts to inject malicious scripts into the plugin's configuration interface, creating a persistent vector for exploitation. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates even when the WordPress installation has properly restricted the unfiltered_html capability, which normally prevents non-administrative users from injecting raw HTML content.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper input validation and output escaping practices within the plugin's codebase. When administrators configure the plugin settings, the "Referer address" field accepts user-provided input without adequate sanitization processes that would normally strip or encode potentially dangerous characters. This failure to implement proper input sanitization aligns with CWE-79, which defines cross-site scripting as the improper handling of input data that is directly reflected in web responses without appropriate escaping or encoding. The vulnerability creates a condition where malicious scripts can be stored in the plugin's configuration and subsequently executed whenever the settings page is accessed by any user with administrative privileges, making it a persistent threat that can affect multiple users within the same WordPress installation.
The operational impact of CVE-2022-1228 extends beyond simple script execution, as it provides attackers with a foothold for more sophisticated attacks within the WordPress environment. Once an attacker successfully injects malicious JavaScript into the plugin's settings, they can leverage this capability to steal administrative credentials, modify plugin configurations, or redirect users to malicious domains. The vulnerability particularly affects WordPress installations where the unfiltered_html capability has been appropriately restricted, as this restriction typically prevents standard XSS attacks from succeeding. However, the flaw in the Opensea plugin's settings handling circumvents these protections, making it a significant concern for security-conscious administrators. This vulnerability can be exploited through the standard WordPress administrative interface, where attackers with sufficient privileges can modify the plugin settings and persist their malicious code.
The exploitation of this vulnerability follows patterns consistent with ATT&CK technique T1548.003, which describes the abuse of administrative privileges to maintain persistent access through modifications to application settings or configurations. Security professionals should note that this vulnerability represents a privilege escalation vector that can be particularly dangerous in multi-user WordPress environments where multiple administrators have access to the plugin settings. The remediation strategy requires immediate plugin updates to version 1.0.3 or later, where the sanitization and escaping mechanisms have been properly implemented. Organizations should also conduct thorough security audits of their WordPress installations to identify any other plugins that may be vulnerable to similar input handling issues, as this type of vulnerability often indicates broader code quality problems that can affect multiple components within a WordPress ecosystem.