CVE-2022-1387 in No Future Posts Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 05/30/2022
The No Future Posts WordPress plugin through 1.4 does not escape its settings, which could allow high privilege users such as admin to perform Cross-Site Scripting attacks when unfiltered_html is disallowed
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/04/2022
The CVE-2022-1387 vulnerability resides within the No Future Posts WordPress plugin version 1.4 and earlier, representing a critical cross-site scripting flaw that exploits improper output escaping in plugin settings. This vulnerability specifically targets high-privilege users including administrators who possess the capability to manipulate plugin configurations. The flaw emerges from the plugin's failure to properly sanitize and escape user-controllable data within its administrative interfaces, creating an avenue for malicious code injection. When WordPress is configured to disallow unfiltered_html, the security controls that typically prevent dangerous script execution are bypassed through this vulnerability, allowing attackers to inject malicious payloads that can persist across user sessions.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of plugin settings where user input is directly rendered without appropriate sanitization measures. This represents a classic XSS vulnerability classified under CWE-79 as "Cross-site Scripting" where the plugin fails to escape output that originates from user-controlled sources. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it leverages the elevated privileges of administrative users, meaning that successful exploitation requires only the ability to access the plugin settings interface rather than more complex attack vectors. The flaw specifically manifests when the plugin displays configuration values in HTML contexts without proper escaping, allowing attackers to inject script tags or other malicious code that executes in the context of other users' browsers.
The operational impact of CVE-2022-1387 extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to perform a wide range of malicious activities including session hijacking, data exfiltration, and privilege escalation within the WordPress environment. When an administrator interacts with the vulnerable plugin settings, any malicious scripts injected through the settings fields will execute in their browser context, potentially allowing attackers to steal authentication cookies, modify plugin configurations, or redirect users to malicious domains. This vulnerability operates within the ATT&CK framework under the T1547.001 technique for 'Registry Run Keys / Startup Folder' and T1203 'Exploitation for Client Execution' categories, as it enables execution of malicious code through compromised administrative sessions. The persistence potential of this vulnerability is significant since the injected scripts can remain active across multiple user sessions and browser visits, creating long-term attack vectors.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2022-1387 should prioritize immediate plugin updates to versions that address the output escaping deficiencies, as this represents the most direct solution to the vulnerability. Organizations should also implement strict input validation and output escaping mechanisms within their WordPress environments, ensuring that all user-controllable data is properly sanitized before being rendered in HTML contexts. The WordPress security community recommends that administrators disable unfiltered_html capabilities for all users except the most trusted administrators, and to regularly audit plugin configurations for potential security flaws. Additionally, implementing content security policies can provide an additional layer of protection against script injection attacks, while monitoring for suspicious plugin activity and unauthorized configuration changes can help detect exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper security practices in plugin development, particularly around input validation and output escaping, as outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and WordPress security hardening guidelines.