CVE-2022-2574 in Meks Easy Social Share Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 10/17/2022
The Meks Easy Social Share WordPress plugin before 1.2.8 does not sanitise and escape some of its settings, which could allow high privilege users such as admin to perform Stored Cross-Site Scripting attacks even when the unfiltered_html capability is disallowed (for example in multisite setup)
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/26/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-2574 affects the Meks Easy Social Share WordPress plugin version 1.2.7 and earlier, representing a critical security flaw that enables stored cross-site scripting attacks. This issue arises from insufficient sanitization and escaping of user-provided input within the plugin's settings management system. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it targets high-privilege users such as administrators who typically possess elevated capabilities within WordPress environments. Even when the unfiltered_html capability is restricted - a common security practice in multisite configurations and environments with heightened security requirements - the flaw allows attackers to execute malicious scripts persistently within the plugin's administrative interface.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the plugin's failure to properly validate and sanitize input data before storing it in the WordPress database. When administrators configure the plugin settings, they can inadvertently introduce malicious JavaScript code through various input fields that control social sharing functionality. This code remains stored in the database and executes whenever the affected settings page is accessed, creating a persistent XSS vector that can affect other users with administrative privileges. The flaw specifically impacts the plugin's handling of user-controllable parameters that should be strictly validated and escaped before being written to the database.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to escalate privileges, steal session cookies, perform unauthorized actions within the WordPress administration panel, and potentially compromise the entire WordPress installation. In multisite environments where the unfiltered_html capability is typically disabled, this vulnerability becomes even more dangerous because it bypasses the expected security controls that should prevent such attacks. The stored nature of the vulnerability means that malicious payloads persist even after the initial exploitation attempt, allowing attackers to maintain access and continue executing malicious code without requiring repeated exploitation efforts.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2022-2574 involve immediate patching of the Meks Easy Social Share plugin to version 1.2.8 or later, which includes proper sanitization and escaping mechanisms for all user-controllable input fields. Organizations should also implement additional defensive measures such as regular security audits of installed plugins, monitoring for unauthorized changes to plugin settings, and maintaining up-to-date security configurations that restrict unnecessary capabilities. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 - Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting vulnerabilities resulting from inadequate input validation. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1059.001 - Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell and T1566.001 - Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment, as it enables attackers to establish persistent access through malicious script injection and potentially facilitate further phishing campaigns. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input sanitization and the principle of least privilege in web application security, particularly when dealing with administrative interfaces that handle user-controllable data.