CVE-2022-29424 in Image Hover Effects Ultimate Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 05/21/2022
Authenticated (admin or higher user role) Reflected Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Biplob Adhikari's Image Hover Effects Ultimate plugin
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/27/2022
This authenticated reflected cross-site scripting vulnerability exists within the Image Hover Effects Ultimate plugin developed by Biplob Adhikari, representing a critical security flaw that allows authenticated administrators or users with elevated privileges to execute malicious scripts in the context of other users' browsers. The vulnerability stems from improper input validation and output encoding within the plugin's administrative interface, where user-supplied data is directly reflected back to the browser without adequate sanitization measures. The flaw specifically manifests when administrators or high-privilege users interact with plugin settings or configuration pages that process external inputs, creating an environment where malicious payloads can be injected and executed.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the plugin's failure to properly escape or filter user-controllable parameters that are subsequently rendered in HTML output contexts. When an authenticated user accesses certain administrative endpoints, the plugin processes input data through functions that do not adequately sanitize or encode special characters, allowing attackers to inject malicious script code that executes in the browser of other users who view the affected pages. This reflected nature means that the malicious payload is not stored on the server but rather passed through the application's response mechanism, making it particularly dangerous in environments where administrators frequently access plugin interfaces.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it provides attackers with the capability to perform session hijacking, steal administrative credentials, modify plugin configurations, or even redirect users to malicious domains. The authenticated requirement limits the initial attack surface but does not eliminate the severity, as compromising an administrator account typically provides extensive access to the entire WordPress installation. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to escalate privileges, access sensitive data, or establish persistent backdoors within the system, making it particularly dangerous for organizations relying on this plugin for their website functionality.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability should include immediate plugin updates from the vendor to address the reflected XSS flaw, proper input validation and output encoding implementation, and regular security audits of third-party plugins. Organizations should implement network segmentation to limit access to administrative interfaces, enforce multi-factor authentication for administrative accounts, and conduct regular penetration testing to identify similar vulnerabilities. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and represents a technique categorized under the ATT&CK framework as T1059.007 for scripting, where attackers leverage web-based scripting to execute malicious payloads. Additionally, implementing Content Security Policy headers and regular security monitoring can provide additional layers of defense against exploitation attempts.