CVE-2023-0074 in WP Social Widget Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 01/30/2023
The WP Social Widget WordPress plugin before 2.2.4 does not validate and escape some of its shortcode attributes before outputting them back in a page/post where the shortcode is embed, which could allow users with the contributor role and above to perform Stored Cross-Site Scripting attacks.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/27/2025
The WP Social Widget WordPress plugin vulnerability CVE-2023-0074 represents a critical stored cross-site scripting flaw that affects versions prior to 2.2.4. This vulnerability resides in the plugin's handling of shortcode attributes, specifically failing to properly validate and escape user input before rendering it back into web pages where the shortcode is embedded. The flaw is particularly concerning because it allows users with the contributor role and above to execute malicious scripts, demonstrating a significant privilege escalation risk within WordPress environments. The vulnerability directly maps to CWE-79 which defines Cross-Site Scripting as a common weakness in web applications where untrusted data is improperly incorporated into web pages without proper validation or escaping mechanisms.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the plugin's insufficient sanitization of shortcode parameters. When administrators or contributors embed social widget shortcodes within posts or pages, the plugin processes attributes such as URLs, social media handles, or display settings without adequate input validation. This creates an environment where malicious actors can inject malicious JavaScript code through these parameters, which then executes whenever the affected page is loaded by other users. The stored nature of this vulnerability means that the malicious payload persists in the database and affects all users who view the compromised content, making it particularly dangerous in multi-user environments where contributors have access to content management features.
The operational impact of CVE-2023-0074 extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, defacement of content, and redirection to malicious sites. The vulnerability affects the entire WordPress ecosystem where the plugin is installed, potentially compromising multiple users if the malicious script is embedded in widely accessed posts or pages. Security professionals should consider this vulnerability in relation to ATT&CK technique T1566 which covers phishing with malicious attachments, as attackers could leverage this vulnerability to deliver malicious payloads through compromised social widget configurations. The impact is amplified in enterprise environments where contributor-level access is often granted to multiple users, increasing the attack surface and potential for successful exploitation.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including updating to WP Social Widget version 2.2.4 or later, which addresses the validation and escaping issues. Additionally, administrators should review existing shortcode configurations for any suspicious or malicious entries and consider implementing additional input validation at the WordPress level. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper content sanitization and input validation in web applications, particularly in plugins that handle user-generated content or configuration parameters. Security teams should also monitor for any exploitation attempts through web application firewalls and implement proper access controls to limit contributor privileges where possible, as the vulnerability demonstrates how lower-privilege users can gain significant attack capabilities through poorly validated inputs.