CVE-2022-34650 in wpWax Team Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 07/22/2022
Multiple Authenticated (contributor or higher user role) Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in wpWax Team plugin <= 1.2.6 at WordPress.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/20/2022
The vulnerability CVE-2022-34650 represents a critical security flaw in the wpWax Team plugin for WordPress systems, affecting versions up to and including 1.2.6. This issue manifests as multiple stored cross-site scripting vulnerabilities that can be exploited by authenticated users holding contributor or higher privileges within the WordPress environment. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input sanitization and output escaping mechanisms within the plugin's codebase, creating persistent XSS attack vectors that can persist across user sessions and potentially affect other system users.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs when authenticated users with contributor-level permissions or higher submit malicious script content through the plugin's interface. The stored nature of this XSS means that the malicious payload is permanently saved within the plugin's database storage and subsequently executed whenever other users view the affected content. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-79 - Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, which specifically addresses the failure to properly escape or sanitize user-supplied data before incorporating it into dynamically generated web pages. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates at the user privilege level, allowing attackers to potentially escalate their access or compromise other users within the WordPress environment.
The operational impact of CVE-2022-34650 extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to perform various malicious activities including credential theft, session hijacking, and data exfiltration. An attacker with contributor privileges can craft malicious scripts that execute in the context of other users' browsers, potentially capturing cookies, login credentials, or other sensitive information. This vulnerability can also serve as a stepping stone for further attacks within the WordPress ecosystem, as it allows for the execution of arbitrary JavaScript code that could redirect users to malicious sites or modify the behavior of the plugin interface. The persistence of stored XSS makes this vulnerability particularly dangerous for long-term exploitation, as the malicious code remains active until manually removed from the database.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2022-34650 should prioritize immediate plugin updates to versions that address the identified XSS vulnerabilities, as the wpWax Team has likely released patches to resolve the input sanitization and output escaping issues. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms across all user-contributed content within WordPress installations, following the principle of least privilege by restricting contributor-level access to plugin interfaces where possible. Security monitoring should include regular scanning for stored XSS vulnerabilities in WordPress plugins and themes, with particular attention to user-generated content handling. Additionally, implementing content security policies and regular security audits of WordPress plugins can help prevent similar vulnerabilities from being introduced into the system. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this type of vulnerability under T1566 - Phishing and T1203 - Exploitation for Credential Access, highlighting the potential for credential theft and social engineering attacks that can result from such stored XSS vulnerabilities.