CVE-2022-1265 in BulletProof Security Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 05/16/2022
The BulletProof Security WordPress plugin before 6.1 does not sanitize and escape some of its CAPTCHA settings, which could allow high-privileged users to perform Cross-Site Scripting attacks even when unfiltered_html is disallowed
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/18/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-1265 affects the BulletProof Security WordPress plugin version 6.1 and earlier, presenting a critical cross-site scripting risk that undermines the security posture of affected WordPress installations. This flaw resides in the plugin's handling of CAPTCHA settings where insufficient sanitization and escaping of user input creates an avenue for malicious code injection. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it targets high-privileged users who typically possess elevated permissions within the WordPress environment, yet the flaw allows them to execute XSS attacks even when the unfiltered_html capability has been restricted. The security implications extend beyond simple script execution as this vulnerability can be exploited to bypass standard WordPress security measures that are designed to prevent malicious code from being injected into the system.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which categorizes cross-site scripting flaws as weaknesses in input validation and output encoding. The flaw occurs specifically within the plugin's CAPTCHA configuration handling where user-provided data is not properly sanitized before being rendered back to the browser. This creates a persistent XSS vector that can be exploited through the plugin's administrative interface, allowing attackers to inject malicious scripts that will execute in the context of other administrators' browsers. The vulnerability's impact is amplified by the fact that it affects high-privileged users who can manipulate plugin settings, potentially leading to session hijacking, privilege escalation, or data exfiltration. The security model of WordPress relies on proper input sanitization and output escaping to prevent such attacks, making this particular flaw a significant deviation from expected security practices.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a substantial risk to WordPress administrators who may be unaware of the compromised plugin's presence in their environment. The attack vector requires an attacker to already possess administrative privileges or to have gained access to a high-privileged account, but the vulnerability essentially removes the protection mechanisms that should prevent such accounts from being used to execute malicious code. The exploitation process involves crafting malicious input within the CAPTCHA settings that, when rendered by the admin interface, executes in the browser context of other administrators. This creates a persistent threat where compromised administrators may unknowingly execute malicious scripts, potentially leading to full system compromise. The vulnerability also impacts the integrity of the WordPress administrative interface, as it allows for the injection of malicious code that could modify plugin behavior or redirect users to malicious sites.
The mitigation strategy for CVE-2022-1265 requires immediate action from affected WordPress administrators to upgrade the BulletProof Security plugin to version 6.1 or later, where the sanitization and escaping mechanisms have been properly implemented. Organizations should also conduct thorough security audits to identify any potential exploitation attempts that may have occurred prior to the patch deployment. Network monitoring should be enhanced to detect suspicious activity related to CAPTCHA settings modifications, as these changes may indicate attempted exploitation. Additionally, administrators should review their user permissions and implement principle of least privilege practices to limit the number of accounts with high-privileged access. The vulnerability's classification under ATT&CK technique T1548.001 for privilege escalation highlights the need for comprehensive access control measures. Security teams should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious input patterns that may attempt to exploit similar sanitization flaws in other plugins or themes. The incident underscores the importance of regular security updates and the necessity of maintaining current security patches for all WordPress components to prevent exploitation of known vulnerabilities that could compromise the entire web application ecosystem.