CVE-2022-4789 in WPZOOM Portfolio Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 01/23/2023
The WPZOOM Portfolio WordPress plugin before 1.2.2 does not validate and escape one of its shortcode attributes, which could allow users with a role as low as contributor to perform Stored Cross-Site Scripting attack.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/03/2025
The WPZOOM Portfolio WordPress plugin vulnerability represents a critical security flaw that undermines the integrity of WordPress installations. This issue affects versions prior to 1.2.2 and demonstrates how seemingly minor oversights in input validation can create significant entry points for malicious actors. The vulnerability specifically targets the plugin's shortcode attribute handling mechanism, where insufficient sanitization allows attackers to inject malicious scripts that persist within the system. The flaw is particularly concerning because it requires minimal privilege levels to exploit, as contributors can leverage this weakness to execute stored cross-site scripting attacks. This represents a fundamental failure in the principle of least privilege and input validation that forms the cornerstone of secure application development practices.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate validation and escaping of user-supplied input within the plugin's shortcode processing functionality. When users with contributor roles create or modify content containing the affected shortcode, the plugin fails to properly sanitize the attribute values before storing them in the database. This stored data is then subsequently rendered in web pages without proper output escaping, creating an environment where malicious scripts can execute in the context of other users' browsers. The vulnerability operates as a classic stored XSS attack vector where the malicious payload is injected once and then executed repeatedly whenever the affected content is displayed. This flaw directly corresponds to CWE-79 which categorizes cross-site scripting vulnerabilities as weaknesses in input validation and output encoding. The attack chain begins with an attacker crafting malicious script within the shortcode attribute, storing it through the contributor role's permissions, and then executing it when other users view pages containing the vulnerable content.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it creates potential for broader compromise within WordPress environments. Attackers can leverage stored XSS to steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or even escalate privileges within the compromised WordPress installation. The fact that this vulnerability is exploitable by contributors, who typically have limited capabilities, demonstrates how insufficient security controls can create unexpected attack surfaces. This weakness can enable persistent threats where malicious scripts remain active until the vulnerability is patched, potentially affecting all users who encounter the compromised content. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of proper security testing and validation of user inputs, particularly in plugins that handle user-generated content or shortcode parameters. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving client-side code injection and privilege escalation through compromised user accounts, representing a significant threat to WordPress site integrity and user security.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should prioritize immediate patching of the WPZOOM Portfolio plugin to version 1.2.2 or later, which contains the necessary fixes for input validation and output escaping. Administrators should also implement additional monitoring of user activities, particularly for contributor accounts that have access to shortcode functionality. The remediation process must include thorough scanning of existing content for potentially malicious scripts that may have already been stored in the database. Security hardening measures should be implemented to enforce stricter input validation for all shortcode attributes and ensure proper output escaping regardless of user roles. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious script injection attempts, while establishing regular security audits of installed plugins to identify similar vulnerabilities. The incident underscores the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security practices and the necessity of comprehensive security testing throughout the software development lifecycle to prevent such vulnerabilities from reaching production environments.