CVE-2022-3392 in WP Humans.txt Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 10/25/2022
The WP Humans.txt WordPress plugin through 1.0.6 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 • 05/07/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-3392 affects the WP Humans.txt WordPress plugin version 1.0.6 and earlier, representing a critical stored cross-site scripting weakness that undermines web application security. This flaw exists within the plugin's handling of user settings where insufficient sanitization and escaping mechanisms fail to properly validate input data. The vulnerability specifically targets high-privilege users such as administrators who possess the capability to modify plugin configurations, making it particularly dangerous in multi-site WordPress environments where administrative controls are prevalent.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the plugin's failure to apply proper input validation and output escaping routines on user-controllable parameters. When administrators configure the plugin settings, the system does not adequately sanitize the data entered into fields that accept HTML content or other potentially malicious input. This creates an environment where crafted script code can be injected and stored within the plugin's configuration settings, subsequently executed whenever the settings are rendered or processed. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates even when WordPress's unfiltered_html capability is restricted, which typically prevents non-administrator users from injecting malicious scripts into content.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it enables attackers with administrative privileges to perform a range of malicious activities including session hijacking, data exfiltration, and privilege escalation within the WordPress environment. In multi-site configurations, this vulnerability becomes even more dangerous as compromised administrators can potentially affect multiple sites within the network. The stored nature of the XSS attack means that the malicious payload persists in the system and can affect any user who accesses the affected plugin settings or views pages where the stored content is rendered, creating a persistent threat vector that can remain active until the vulnerability is patched.
Security practitioners should recognize this vulnerability as aligning with CWE-79, which describes cross-site scripting flaws that occur when untrusted data is sent to a web browser without proper sanitization. The vulnerability also maps to ATT&CK technique T1548.002, which covers privilege escalation through exploitation of administrative interfaces. Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate patching of the affected plugin to version 1.0.7 or later, which implements proper sanitization and escaping mechanisms. Additionally, administrators should review and restrict plugin access permissions, implement content security policies, and conduct regular security audits of plugin configurations. The vulnerability underscores the importance of input validation and output escaping in web applications, particularly in administrative interfaces where privileged users can manipulate system settings. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and monitoring for suspicious script injection attempts to detect potential exploitation attempts.