CVE-2022-45847 in Countdown Widget Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 03/27/2024
Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in WPAssist.Me WordPress Countdown Widget allows Cross-Site Scripting (XSS).This issue affects WordPress Countdown Widget: from n/a through 3.1.9.1.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/12/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-45847 represents a critical security flaw in the WPAssist.Me WordPress Countdown Widget plugin that combines cross-site request forgery with cross-site scripting vulnerabilities. This dual nature makes the flaw particularly dangerous as it can be exploited to perform unauthorized actions on behalf of authenticated users while simultaneously injecting malicious scripts into the victim's browser. The vulnerability exists within the WordPress Countdown Widget plugin and affects versions ranging from the initial release through version 3.1.9.1, indicating a wide range of impacted installations that could be at risk.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate validation and sanitization of user-supplied input within the plugin's administrative interfaces. The CSRF component allows attackers to trick authenticated users into executing unintended actions without their knowledge or consent, while the XSS element enables the injection of malicious scripts that can steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or perform other harmful activities. This combination creates a particularly dangerous attack vector where an attacker can leverage a single vulnerability to both bypass authentication mechanisms and execute arbitrary code in the victim's browser context.
The operational impact of CVE-2022-45847 extends beyond simple data theft or service disruption. Attackers could potentially gain full administrative control over affected WordPress installations by exploiting the CSRF vulnerability to modify plugin settings or user permissions, while the XSS component could be used to establish persistent backdoors or exfiltrate sensitive information. The widespread use of the Countdown Widget plugin means that numerous WordPress sites could be compromised simultaneously, creating a significant attack surface for threat actors. This vulnerability directly relates to CWE-352, which defines cross-site request forgery, and CWE-79, which addresses cross-site scripting, both of which are fundamental security weaknesses in web applications.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately update to the latest version of the WordPress Countdown Widget plugin where the CSRF and XSS protections have been implemented. System administrators should also implement additional security measures such as content security policies to mitigate the potential impact of XSS attacks even if the primary vulnerability remains unpatched. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this type of vulnerability under T1548.003 for abuse of group policies and T1213.002 for data from information repositories, highlighting the broader implications for system compromise and information gathering. Security monitoring should focus on detecting unauthorized administrative changes and suspicious script injections in web application logs, as these activities could indicate exploitation attempts against this vulnerability.