CVE-2022-2887 in WP Server Health Stats Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 09/16/2022
The WP Server Health Stats WordPress plugin before 1.7.0 does not escape some of its settings, which could allow high privilege users to perform Cross-Site Scripting attacks even when the unfiltered_html capability is disallowed.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/19/2022
The WP Server Health Stats WordPress plugin vulnerability CVE-2022-2887 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw that undermines the security posture of WordPress installations. This vulnerability affects versions prior to 1.7.0 and specifically targets the plugin's handling of user settings without proper output escaping mechanisms. The flaw enables attackers with high privilege user accounts to inject malicious scripts into the plugin's administrative interface, potentially compromising the entire WordPress environment through persistent XSS attacks.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input sanitization within the plugin's settings management system. When high privilege users access the plugin configuration interface, the application fails to properly escape or sanitize user-supplied data before rendering it in the browser context. This omission creates a persistent XSS vector where malicious scripts can be stored and executed whenever the affected page is loaded. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates even when the WordPress environment has properly restricted the unfiltered_html capability, which typically prevents non-administrators from injecting raw HTML content.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability significantly impacts WordPress security models by allowing privilege escalation through script injection attacks. Attackers with access to administrative or editor-level accounts can leverage this flaw to execute arbitrary JavaScript code within the context of other users' browsers. The implications extend beyond simple script execution as these attacks can be used to steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or perform unauthorized administrative actions. The persistent nature of the vulnerability means that once exploited, the malicious scripts remain active until manually removed from the plugin settings, creating ongoing security risks for all users who interact with the compromised WordPress installation.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 - Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') and maps to ATT&CK technique T1566.001 - Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment, as attackers can craft malicious plugin settings that appear legitimate to administrators. Organizations should prioritize immediate patching to version 1.7.0 or later, which implements proper output escaping mechanisms for all user-controllable settings. Additional mitigations include restricting administrative access to only trusted users, implementing content security policies, and monitoring for unusual plugin configuration changes. Security teams should also conduct thorough audits of all installed WordPress plugins to identify similar output escaping vulnerabilities that could present analogous risks to the broader WordPress ecosystem.