CVE-2022-4142 in Filter Gallery Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 01/03/2023
The WordPress Filter Gallery Plugin WordPress plugin before 0.1.6 does not properly escape the filters passed in the ufg_gallery_filters ajax action before outputting them on the page, allowing a high privileged user such as an administrator to inject HTML or javascript to the plugin settings page, even when the unfiltered_html capability is disabled.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/11/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-4142 affects the WordPress Filter Gallery Plugin version 0.1.5 and earlier, representing a critical cross-site scripting flaw that arises from improper input sanitization within the plugin's ajax handling mechanism. This issue specifically targets the ufg_gallery_filters action endpoint where user-supplied filter parameters are processed without adequate HTML escaping or output sanitization. The vulnerability exists in the plugin's backend processing logic where it fails to properly escape or validate data before rendering it within the administrative interface, creating a persistent vector for malicious code injection.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires an attacker to possess administrative privileges or equivalent high-privileged access within the WordPress environment, as the flaw specifically targets the plugin settings page accessible only to users with sufficient permissions. However, the impact extends beyond simple privilege escalation since the injected content can be rendered in the plugin's administrative interface, potentially allowing attackers to execute malicious javascript code or inject HTML elements that could compromise the administrative session. This represents a direct violation of the principle of least privilege and demonstrates a failure in the plugin's input validation and output encoding mechanisms.
The operational impact of CVE-2022-4142 is significant as it enables authenticated attackers to establish persistent malicious presence within the WordPress administration interface. Once exploited, the vulnerability could allow attackers to modify plugin settings, inject malicious scripts that persist across sessions, or potentially escalate their privileges further within the WordPress environment. The vulnerability directly relates to CWE-79 which defines Cross-Site Scripting flaws, and specifically aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript, as the malicious code injection occurs through javascript execution within the browser context of the administrative interface. This flaw undermines the security model of WordPress by allowing privilege-escalating code execution within the context of the highest-privileged user accounts.
The mitigation strategy for CVE-2022-4142 requires immediate upgrade to version 0.1.6 or later of the Filter Gallery Plugin, which includes proper HTML escaping and output sanitization of user-supplied parameters. Additionally, administrators should implement the principle of least privilege by ensuring that only essential personnel have administrative access to WordPress installations, and should regularly audit plugin permissions and capabilities. Security monitoring should include detection of unusual administrative activities and unauthorized modifications to plugin settings. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of proper input validation and output encoding practices, which should be implemented across all WordPress plugin development to prevent similar issues. Organizations should consider implementing web application firewalls and content security policies as additional defensive measures to mitigate the impact of such vulnerabilities even when they occur.