CVE-2022-2375 in WP Sticky Button Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 08/22/2022
The WP Sticky Button WordPress plugin before 1.4.1 does not have authorisation and CSRF checks when saving its settings, allowing unauthenticated users to update them. Furthermore, due to the lack of escaping in some of them, it could lead to Stored Cross-Site Scripting issues
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/24/2022
The WP Sticky Button WordPress plugin vulnerability represents a critical security flaw that undermines the integrity of WordPress installations through insufficient access controls and output sanitization. This vulnerability affects versions prior to 1.4.1 and exposes the plugin to unauthorized modifications by malicious actors who do not possess legitimate administrative credentials. The absence of proper authorization checks creates an entry point for attackers to manipulate plugin configurations without proper authentication, fundamentally compromising the security model of the WordPress ecosystem.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the plugin's failure to implement adequate cross-site request forgery protection mechanisms. When administrators save plugin settings, the system does not validate whether the request originates from an authenticated user with appropriate privileges. This omission allows any remote attacker to craft malicious requests that can modify the plugin's configuration parameters. The vulnerability is further exacerbated by the lack of proper input sanitization and output escaping throughout the plugin's codebase, creating conditions where attacker-controlled data can be injected into the application's response without proper filtering or encoding.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risk exposure for WordPress administrators and site owners who rely on the WP Sticky Button plugin for their website functionality. The stored cross-site scripting vulnerability allows attackers to inject malicious scripts that persist in the plugin's configuration storage, meaning the malicious code will execute whenever legitimate users access the affected settings page or interact with the plugin's functionality. This creates a persistent threat vector that can be exploited to hijack user sessions, steal sensitive information, or redirect users to malicious websites.
The security implications of this vulnerability align with CWE-352, which addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery, and CWE-79, which covers Cross-Site Scripting. These weaknesses collectively enable attackers to manipulate the application's behavior and potentially compromise user data. The vulnerability can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for script injection and T1546.008 for application deployment. The attack surface extends beyond simple configuration changes to include potential privilege escalation and data exfiltration scenarios.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate plugin updates to version 1.4.1 or later, which implements proper authorization checks and input sanitization measures. Administrators should also conduct thorough security audits of their WordPress installations to identify any other plugins that may exhibit similar authorization flaws. Additionally, implementing web application firewalls and input validation mechanisms can provide additional layers of protection. Regular security monitoring and vulnerability scanning should be maintained to detect similar issues in other third-party plugins. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper security practices in WordPress plugin development, particularly around authentication, authorization, and input/output sanitization.