CVE-2022-4000 in WooCommerce Shipping Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 12/12/2022
The WooCommerce Shipping WordPress plugin through 1.2.11 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 • 01/07/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-4000 affects the WooCommerce Shipping WordPress plugin version 1.2.11 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, creating a significant risk in multisite WordPress environments where the unfiltered_html capability is typically restricted. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input sanitization and output escaping mechanisms within the plugin's configuration handling processes.
The technical flaw manifests when administrators interact with the plugin's settings interface, where user-supplied data is not properly sanitized before being stored in the database and subsequently rendered back to users. This failure creates a persistent XSS vector that allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into the plugin's configuration parameters. When other users, including less privileged administrators or even regular site visitors, access pages that display these stored settings, the malicious scripts execute in their browsers, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or further exploitation of the compromised systems. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in multisite configurations where WordPress enforces stricter content filtering policies to prevent unauthorized HTML injection.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to escalate privileges within the WordPress environment, manipulate administrative interfaces, and potentially gain unauthorized access to sensitive data. In multisite setups, where multiple administrators manage different sites within a single WordPress installation, the attack surface expands significantly since a single compromised administrator account could affect the entire network. The stored nature of the XSS vulnerability means that the malicious payloads persist even after the initial attack, allowing attackers to maintain access and continue exploiting the vulnerability over extended periods.
Security mitigations for CVE-2022-4000 should prioritize immediate plugin updates to versions that address the sanitization and escaping issues, as this represents the most effective remediation approach. Organizations should also implement additional security controls including regular security audits of installed plugins, enforcement of strict input validation policies, and monitoring for suspicious administrative activities. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and may be categorized under ATT&CK technique T1547.001 for registry run keys and startup folder persistence. Administrators should consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious script injection attempts, while also ensuring that WordPress multisite configurations properly enforce capability restrictions and that regular security assessments are conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other plugins or themes.