CVE-2022-45849 in Silkalns Activello Theme
Summary
by MITRE • 04/16/2023
Auth. (subscriber+) Reflected Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Silkalns Activello theme <= 1.4.4 versions.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/16/2023
The CVE-2022-45849 vulnerability represents a significant security flaw in the Silkalns Activello WordPress theme affecting versions up to 1.4.4. This vulnerability falls under the category of authenticated reflected cross-site scripting attacks, where an attacker with subscriber-level privileges or higher can exploit this weakness to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users. The vulnerability specifically targets the theme's handling of user input parameters that are reflected back to the browser without proper sanitization or encoding mechanisms.
The technical implementation of this flaw occurs within the theme's codebase where user-supplied parameters are directly incorporated into HTML output without adequate validation or output encoding. When an authenticated user accesses a page that processes these parameters, the malicious script code becomes embedded in the response and executes in the context of the victim's browser session. This creates a persistent threat vector that can be exploited to steal session cookies, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of users, or redirect victims to malicious websites. The vulnerability operates through the standard XSS attack pattern where the malicious payload is reflected from the server back to the user's browser, making it particularly dangerous in multi-user environments where administrators or editors might inadvertently trigger the attack.
The operational impact of CVE-2022-45849 extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to escalate privileges within the WordPress environment. Since the vulnerability requires only subscriber-level authentication, it represents a low-hanging fruit for attackers who may have gained access through other means such as credential theft or social engineering. The reflected nature of the vulnerability means that attacks can be delivered through carefully crafted URLs that, when clicked by victims, execute the malicious code in their browsers. This characteristic aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for initial access through spearphishing attachments or links, and T1059.001 for command and control through scripting languages. The vulnerability also relates to CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate patching of the Silkalns Activello theme to versions that address the reflected XSS flaw. Administrators should ensure that all WordPress installations are regularly updated with the latest security patches from both the core platform and all installed themes and plugins. Input validation and output encoding mechanisms should be strengthened throughout the application to prevent similar vulnerabilities from occurring in the future. Security monitoring should include detection of suspicious user activities and unusual parameter patterns that might indicate attempted exploitation of XSS vulnerabilities. Additionally, implementing content security policies and using proper HTTP headers can provide additional layers of protection against reflected XSS attacks. Organizations should conduct regular security assessments and penetration testing to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities across their entire web application portfolio.