CVE-2022-3128 in Donation Thermometer Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 10/03/2022
The Donation Thermometer WordPress plugin before 2.1.3 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 • 10/29/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-3128 affects the Donation Thermometer WordPress plugin version 2.1.2 and earlier, representing a critical security flaw that enables stored cross-site scripting attacks. This issue specifically targets high-privilege users such as administrators who possess the capability to modify plugin settings. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input sanitization and output escaping mechanisms within the plugin's configuration handling processes, creating a persistent security risk that can affect multiple users simultaneously. The flaw is particularly concerning in multisite WordPress environments where the unfiltered_html capability is typically restricted to prevent unauthorized code injection.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs when administrators configure the plugin's settings, particularly within the donation thermometer display parameters. The plugin fails to properly sanitize user inputs before storing them in the database, and subsequently fails to escape these stored values when rendering them on web pages. This dual failure creates an environment where malicious scripts can be injected into plugin settings and then executed whenever the affected pages are loaded by other users. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-79 as a cross-site scripting weakness, specifically manifesting as a stored XSS attack that persists in the database rather than occurring in a single request. The attack vector exploits the trust relationship between the WordPress admin interface and the frontend display components, allowing attackers to execute malicious code in the context of other users' browsers.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, potentially enabling attackers to perform session hijacking, data theft, or privilege escalation within the affected WordPress environment. In multisite setups where unfiltered_html is disabled, attackers can still leverage this vulnerability because the plugin bypasses the standard WordPress sanitization processes. This creates a dangerous scenario where even restricted users can gain elevated privileges through malicious code injection. The persistent nature of stored XSS means that the malicious scripts remain active until manually removed from the plugin settings, potentially affecting all users who view pages containing the compromised thermometer displays. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1548.001 which involves privilege escalation through abuse of application permissions and T1203 which covers exploitation of web application vulnerabilities for code execution.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2022-3128 require immediate plugin updates to version 2.1.3 or later, which contains the necessary sanitization and escaping fixes. Administrators should also implement additional security measures including regular security audits of installed plugins, monitoring for unauthorized changes to plugin configurations, and maintaining up-to-date security plugins that can detect and prevent XSS attacks. The WordPress core team recommends that administrators review all plugin settings and verify that no malicious scripts have been injected into the affected configurations. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls can provide additional defense-in-depth, though they should not replace proper input validation. Security practitioners should also consider implementing Content Security Policy headers to limit the execution of inline scripts and reduce the impact of any successful XSS attempts. Organizations should establish procedures for regularly updating WordPress core and plugins, as well as maintaining comprehensive backup strategies to quickly restore affected systems if vulnerabilities are exploited. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation and output escaping in web applications, particularly those handling user-provided configuration data.