CVE-2022-4507 in Real Cookie Banner Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 01/16/2023
The Real Cookie Banner WordPress plugin before 3.4.10 does not validate and escapes some of its shortcode attributes before outputting them back in the page, which could allow users with a role as low as a contributor to perform Stored Cross-Site Scripting attacks against logged-in admins.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/05/2025
The Real Cookie Banner WordPress plugin vulnerability CVE-2022-4507 represents a critical stored cross-site scripting flaw that affects versions prior to 3.4.10. This vulnerability specifically targets the plugin's handling of shortcode attributes, creating an avenue for malicious actors to inject persistent malicious scripts into WordPress pages. The flaw is particularly concerning because it requires minimal privilege levels for exploitation, allowing users with contributor roles to potentially compromise administrator sessions and execute arbitrary code within the context of admin browsers.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output escaping mechanisms within the plugin's shortcode processing functionality. When administrators or contributors utilize the plugin's shortcode attributes, the system fails to properly sanitize and escape user-supplied data before rendering it back into HTML output. This omission creates a persistent XSS vector where malicious scripts can be stored within the WordPress database and subsequently executed whenever affected pages are loaded by authenticated users with higher privileges. The vulnerability manifests in the plugin's shortcode attribute handling code, which directly incorporates user input into output without adequate sanitization.
The operational impact of CVE-2022-4507 extends beyond simple script execution, as it enables attackers to perform session hijacking, data exfiltration, and privilege escalation attacks. Administrators who view pages containing maliciously injected scripts become victims of persistent XSS attacks, potentially allowing attackers to steal session cookies, modify content, or even gain full administrative control over affected WordPress installations. The low privilege requirement for exploitation makes this vulnerability particularly dangerous in multi-user environments where contributors may have access to plugin configuration interfaces. This weakness directly violates security principles outlined in CWE-79, which addresses cross-site scripting vulnerabilities, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1548.002 for privilege escalation through malicious code execution.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2022-4507 require immediate plugin updates to version 3.4.10 or later, which incorporates proper input validation and output escaping mechanisms. Administrators should also implement additional security measures including role-based access controls, regular security audits of plugin configurations, and monitoring for suspicious shortcode usage patterns. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input sanitization in web applications, particularly when dealing with user-supplied content that will be rendered in HTML contexts. Organizations should consider implementing Content Security Policy headers as additional defense-in-depth measures to mitigate potential exploitation of similar vulnerabilities in other components of their WordPress installations. Regular vulnerability assessments and security scanning of WordPress plugins remain essential practices to identify and remediate similar security flaws before they can be exploited by malicious actors.