CVE-2022-4497 in Jetpack CRM Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 01/10/2023
The Jetpack CRM WordPress plugin before 5.5 does not validate and escape some of its shortcode attributes before outputting them back in the page, which could allow users with a role as low as contributor to perform Stored Cross-Site Scripting attacks which could be used against high privilege users such as admins
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/30/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-4497 affects the Jetpack CRM WordPress plugin version 5.4 and earlier, representing a critical stored cross-site scripting flaw that undermines the security of WordPress installations. This issue arises from insufficient input validation and output escaping mechanisms within the plugin's shortcode implementation, creating a pathway for malicious actors to inject persistent malicious scripts into web pages that are subsequently executed by other users. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it can be exploited by users with relatively low privileges, specifically contributors who typically have limited capabilities within WordPress, yet this flaw enables them to perform sophisticated attacks that could compromise higher-privileged accounts including administrators.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the improper handling of shortcode attributes within the Jetpack CRM plugin's codebase. When administrators or other users view pages containing these shortcodes, the unescaped attributes are rendered directly into the HTML output without proper sanitization. This creates a persistent XSS vector where malicious scripts can be stored in the database and executed whenever the affected page is accessed. The flaw falls under CWE-79 which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting vulnerabilities, and it aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 which covers the exploitation of web application vulnerabilities through malicious input injection. The vulnerability demonstrates a clear failure in the principle of least privilege as it allows a user with minimal permissions to escalate their attack surface and target more privileged accounts within the same WordPress installation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it creates potential for credential theft, session hijacking, and privilege escalation attacks that could ultimately compromise entire WordPress installations. High-privilege users such as administrators who access pages containing the vulnerable shortcodes become targets for malicious scripts that could steal login credentials, manipulate content, or redirect users to phishing sites. The stored nature of this vulnerability means that once exploited, the malicious payloads persist in the database and can affect any user who views the compromised pages, making it particularly dangerous in multi-user environments. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to establish persistent backdoors or to perform reconnaissance activities that gather sensitive information from the target environment.
Organizations should immediately update to Jetpack CRM version 5.5 or later to remediate this vulnerability, as the plugin developers have addressed the input validation and output escaping issues in the newer release. System administrators should also implement additional monitoring for suspicious shortcode usage patterns and consider implementing content security policies to mitigate the impact of potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input validation and output escaping practices in web applications, particularly in plugins that handle user-generated content or shortcode parameters. Security teams should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments of all installed WordPress plugins to identify similar issues, as this vulnerability represents a common pattern in web application security where insufficient sanitization of user inputs leads to serious exploitation possibilities. The flaw serves as a reminder of the critical need for security practices such as input validation, output encoding, and regular security updates to maintain robust defenses against persistent threats.