CVE-2022-2050 in WP-Paginate Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 07/11/2022
The WP-Paginate WordPress plugin before 2.1.9 does not escape one of its settings, which could allow high privilege users to perform Stored Cross-Site Scripting attacks when unfiltered_html is disallowed
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/21/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-2050 affects the WP-Paginate WordPress plugin version 2.1.8 and earlier, representing a critical stored cross-site scripting flaw that enables authenticated attackers with high privilege levels to execute malicious scripts within the context of other users' browsers. This vulnerability specifically arises from insufficient output escaping of plugin settings, creating a persistent security risk that can be exploited by users who possess capabilities to modify plugin configurations despite being restricted from using unfiltered_html. The flaw exists in the plugin's handling of user-controllable input data that is subsequently rendered in the web interface without proper sanitization or escaping mechanisms.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the plugin's failure to properly escape output when displaying stored settings values, particularly within the administrative interface where users can configure pagination parameters. When high privilege users such as administrators or editors modify plugin settings, the input data is stored in the WordPress database without adequate sanitization. Subsequently, when these settings are displayed in the plugin's admin interface or rendered on frontend pages, the unescaped data can be interpreted as executable JavaScript code by web browsers. This stored nature of the vulnerability means that the malicious payload persists in the database and executes every time the affected page is loaded, making it particularly dangerous for widespread impact. The vulnerability is specifically triggered when WordPress is configured to disallow unfiltered_html, which is a recommended security practice that prevents users from injecting raw HTML and JavaScript code directly into posts and pages.
The operational impact of CVE-2022-2050 extends beyond simple XSS exploitation, as it provides attackers with potential access to administrative functions and user sessions through the execution of malicious scripts. An attacker with administrator privileges can leverage this vulnerability to inject persistent JavaScript payloads that can steal cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, modify content, or even escalate privileges further within the WordPress environment. The stored nature of the vulnerability means that the attack vector remains active until the malicious code is removed from the database, potentially affecting all users who access pages utilizing the vulnerable plugin. This vulnerability directly aligns with CWE-79, which describes Cross-Site Scripting flaws, and represents a specific implementation weakness in the plugin's data handling processes. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that WordPress administrators typically have elevated privileges and access to sensitive data, making successful exploitation potentially devastating for site integrity and user security.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability center on immediate plugin updates to version 2.1.9 or later, which contain the necessary output escaping fixes. Organizations should also implement additional security measures including regular security audits of installed plugins, maintaining up-to-date WordPress core installations, and employing security plugins that can detect and prevent XSS attacks. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and output escaping practices, which align with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for credential access through phishing and T1588.002 for development tools and libraries. Security teams should also consider implementing Content Security Policy headers to provide additional protection against script execution, although this serves as a supplementary defense rather than a replacement for proper input sanitization. Regular monitoring of plugin repositories and security advisories remains essential for maintaining WordPress security posture, as this vulnerability highlights the critical need for proper security practices in plugin development and the potential for persistent threats when output escaping is inadequate.