CVE-2022-2116 in Contact Form DB Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 08/15/2022
The Contact Form DB WordPress plugin before 1.8.0 does not sanitise and escape some parameters before outputting them back in attributes, leading to Reflected Cross-Site Scripting
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/11/2022
The Contact Form DB WordPress plugin vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-2116 represents a critical security flaw that exposes systems to reflected cross-site scripting attacks. This vulnerability affects versions prior to 1.8.0 of the plugin, which is widely used for managing contact forms within WordPress environments. The issue stems from inadequate input sanitization and output escaping mechanisms within the plugin's codebase, creating exploitable pathways for malicious actors to inject harmful scripts into web applications.
The technical flaw manifests when the plugin fails to properly sanitize user-supplied parameters before incorporating them into HTML attributes for output. This improper handling creates a reflected XSS vulnerability where malicious scripts can be injected through parameters that are echoed back to users without proper escaping. The vulnerability specifically impacts the plugin's handling of form data and user inputs, allowing attackers to craft malicious payloads that execute in the context of a victim's browser when they interact with the compromised website. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-79 which defines improper neutralization of input during web page generation, commonly known as cross-site scripting.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, potentially enabling attackers to perform session hijacking, deface websites, steal sensitive user information, or redirect victims to malicious domains. Attackers can exploit this flaw by crafting specially formatted URLs containing malicious JavaScript payloads that are then reflected back to users through the vulnerable plugin's output mechanisms. The reflected nature of the vulnerability means that the malicious script is executed in the victim's browser without requiring persistent storage, making it particularly dangerous for web applications that process user inputs directly. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 which covers the use of malicious links in phishing campaigns, and T1584.002 which involves the development of tools and techniques for exploitation.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2022-2116 primarily focus on immediate plugin updates to version 1.8.0 or later, which includes proper sanitization and escaping of user parameters. System administrators should also implement additional security measures such as input validation at multiple layers, content security policies to restrict script execution, and regular security audits of WordPress plugins. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper output escaping as recommended by the OWASP Top Ten security guidelines, specifically addressing the need for context-appropriate output encoding to prevent XSS attacks. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and monitoring for suspicious URL parameters that might indicate exploitation attempts. Regular patch management procedures and security awareness training for developers working with WordPress environments can further reduce the risk of similar vulnerabilities in the future.