CVE-2022-45839 in WHA WHA Puzzle Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 04/18/2023
Auth. (contributor+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in WHA WHA Puzzle plugin <= 1.0.9 versions.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/05/2023
The vulnerability CVE-2022-45839 represents a stored cross-site scripting flaw within the WHA WHA Puzzle plugin for WordPress, affecting versions up to and including 1.0.9. This security weakness resides in the plugin's authentication handling mechanisms and allows authenticated users with contributor privileges or higher to inject malicious scripts into the application's data storage. The issue stems from insufficient input validation and output sanitization processes that fail to properly escape or filter user-supplied content before it is stored and subsequently rendered back to other users. The vulnerability specifically targets the plugin's puzzle creation and management functionalities where users can input data that gets persisted in the database without adequate security measures.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an authenticated contributor or higher-privileged user submits malicious JavaScript code through the plugin's interface, which is then stored in the database. When other users access pages containing this stored content, the malicious script executes in their browsers, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for initial access through malicious content. The stored nature of this XSS means that the malicious payload remains persistent in the application's database, making it particularly dangerous as it can affect multiple users over extended periods without requiring repeated exploitation attempts.
The operational impact of CVE-2022-45839 extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to manipulate the plugin's functionality and potentially escalate privileges within the WordPress environment. Contributors with this level of access can leverage the vulnerability to compromise other users' sessions, inject malicious advertisements, or redirect traffic to phishing sites. The vulnerability also poses risks to the overall integrity of the WordPress installation, as it provides a foothold for further attacks that could compromise the entire site. Organizations relying on the WHA WHA Puzzle plugin are particularly vulnerable since the attack vector requires only a relatively low privilege level, making it accessible to users who should not have the ability to inject malicious code into the system.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should prioritize immediate plugin updates to versions that address the stored XSS flaw, as the vendor has likely released patches to resolve the input validation and output sanitization issues. Organizations should also implement additional security measures such as content security policies to limit script execution, regular security scanning of plugin installations, and monitoring of user activities for suspicious behavior. Network segmentation and access control measures can help limit the potential impact if exploitation occurs, while regular security audits of WordPress plugins should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities. The remediation process should also include user education about the risks of submitting untrusted content and implementing proper input validation at multiple layers of the application architecture to prevent similar issues from occurring in other components.