CVE-2022-1894 in Popup Builder Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 07/11/2022
The Popup Builder WordPress plugin before 4.1.11 does not escape and sanitize some settings, which could allow high privilege users to perform Stored Cross-Site Scripting attacks when the unfiltred_html is disallowed
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/21/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-1894 affects the Popup Builder WordPress plugin, specifically versions prior to 4.1.11, presenting a critical security risk through stored cross-site scripting flaws. This issue arises from inadequate input sanitization and output escaping mechanisms within the plugin's settings handling processes. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it targets high-privilege users who typically have elevated permissions within WordPress installations, potentially allowing them to execute malicious scripts in the context of other users' browsers.
The technical flaw manifests when the plugin fails to properly escape and sanitize user-controllable settings before storing them in the database. When WordPress is configured to disallow the unfiltred_html capability for most users, the plugin still processes and stores potentially malicious content without adequate validation. This creates a scenario where an authenticated user with sufficient privileges can inject malicious JavaScript code into plugin settings that will then be executed whenever other users view pages containing the affected popup functionality. The stored nature of this vulnerability means that the malicious payload persists in the database and executes automatically whenever the popup is rendered, making it particularly dangerous for widespread impact.
The operational impact of CVE-2022-1894 extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, data exfiltration, and privilege escalation within the WordPress environment. The vulnerability can be exploited by attackers who have obtained credentials for users with administrator or editor privileges, potentially compromising entire WordPress installations. Since the malicious code executes in the context of legitimate users' browsers, it can bypass many standard security measures and may be difficult to detect through routine monitoring. This stored XSS vulnerability also aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and could map to ATT&CK techniques such as T1566 for social engineering and T1071 for application layer protocols, depending on the specific attack vector employed.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily involve immediate patching of the Popup Builder plugin to version 4.1.11 or later, which contains the necessary sanitization and escaping fixes. Administrators should also implement additional security measures including regular security audits, monitoring for unusual plugin activity, and ensuring that only trusted users have elevated privileges within WordPress installations. The WordPress core team recommends maintaining all plugins and themes at their latest versions, as this vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of keeping WordPress ecosystems up to date with security patches. Organizations should also consider implementing content security policies and regular vulnerability scanning to detect similar issues in other components of their web applications, as this vulnerability could potentially be part of broader exploitation patterns targeting WordPress plugins and themes.