CVE-2022-3096 in WP Total Hacks Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 10/31/2022
The WP Total Hacks WordPress plugin through 4.7.2 does not prevent low privilege users from modifying the plugin's settings. This could allow users such as subscribers to perform Stored Cross-Site Scripting attacks against other users, like administrators, due to the lack of sanitisation and escaping as well.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/07/2025
The WP Total Hacks WordPress plugin version 4.7.2 and earlier contains a critical privilege escalation vulnerability that allows low-privilege users to manipulate plugin settings and execute stored cross-site scripting attacks against higher-privileged users. This vulnerability stems from insufficient access control mechanisms within the plugin's administrative interface, where user permissions are not properly enforced when processing configuration modifications. The flaw exists in the plugin's handling of user input through its settings management system, which fails to validate or sanitize data submitted by users with minimal privileges such as subscribers.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a lack of proper input sanitization and output escaping mechanisms within the plugin's codebase. When low-privilege users submit modified plugin settings, the system accepts and processes these inputs without adequate validation, allowing malicious payloads to be stored within the plugin's configuration parameters. This stored data is then executed when higher-privileged users such as administrators access the plugin's interface or view pages that render the compromised settings. The vulnerability specifically manifests as a stored cross-site scripting attack vector because the malicious code persists in the system and executes automatically when accessed by other users.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it creates a persistent threat vector that can compromise entire WordPress installations. Attackers with subscriber accounts can craft malicious scripts that execute in the context of administrator sessions, potentially leading to complete system compromise through session hijacking, credential theft, or further exploitation of the WordPress environment. The vulnerability affects the core principle of least privilege in web application security, where users should only have access to functionality appropriate to their assigned roles. This weakness undermines the security model of WordPress plugins and can result in unauthorized access to sensitive administrative functions, user data exposure, and potential data breaches.
Security professionals should note this vulnerability aligns with CWE-285 (Improper Authorization) and CWE-79 (Cross-Site Scripting) categories, representing a combination of authorization bypass and injection flaws. The attack pattern follows ATT&CK technique T1078.004 (Valid Accounts: Cloud Accounts) where compromised low-privilege accounts can be leveraged to gain elevated privileges and execute malicious code against other users. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including plugin updates to version 4.7.3 or later, which address the access control bypass and input sanitization issues. Additionally, administrators should review user roles and permissions, implement proper input validation at all levels, and consider additional security monitoring for unusual administrative setting modifications. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper access control implementation in WordPress plugins and the critical need for sanitization of all user-provided data in administrative interfaces.