CVE-2023-0377 in Scriptless Social Sharing Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 03/06/2023
The Scriptless Social Sharing WordPress plugin before 3.2.2 does not validate and escape some of its block options before outputting them back in a page/post where the block 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 • 03/31/2023
The Scriptless Social Sharing WordPress plugin vulnerability CVE-2023-0377 represents a critical stored cross-site scripting weakness that affects versions prior to 3.2.2. This vulnerability specifically targets the plugin's handling of block options within WordPress content management systems, creating a persistent security risk for websites utilizing this social sharing functionality. The flaw exists in the plugin's data sanitization processes where certain block configuration parameters are not properly validated or escaped before being rendered back into web pages or posts where the social sharing blocks are embedded. This oversight allows malicious actors with contributor-level privileges and above to inject malicious scripts that can execute in the contexts of other users who view the affected content.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output escaping mechanisms within the plugin's block rendering system. When administrators or contributors configure social sharing blocks with specific options, the plugin fails to sanitize these inputs properly before storing and subsequently outputting them to web pages. This creates a classic stored XSS vector where malicious scripts can be embedded in block configurations and then executed whenever the affected pages are loaded. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it requires minimal privileges to exploit, as users with contributor roles can leverage this flaw to compromise the security of other site visitors. This weakness directly maps to CWE-79 which defines cross-site scripting vulnerabilities as a result of insufficient input validation and output escaping.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, potentially enabling attackers to steal user sessions, deface websites, redirect visitors to malicious domains, or harvest sensitive information from authenticated users. The stored nature of this XSS attack means that the malicious payloads persist in the database and continue to affect users until the vulnerability is patched or the malicious content is manually removed. This makes the attack particularly dangerous in environments where multiple contributors have access to the content management system, as any compromised user with contributor privileges can introduce persistent threats. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 which involves phishing attacks through malicious links, as attackers could craft malicious social sharing blocks that redirect users to compromised sites or harvest credentials.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately update to version 3.2.2 or later of the Scriptless Social Sharing plugin to remediate the stored XSS vulnerability. System administrators should conduct thorough audits of existing social sharing blocks to identify any potentially compromised configurations and implement proper input validation measures. The mitigation strategy should include regular plugin updates, role-based access controls, and monitoring of content creation activities by contributors. Additionally, implementing content security policies and web application firewalls can provide additional layers of protection against exploitation attempts. This vulnerability highlights the critical importance of proper input validation and output escaping in web applications, particularly in content management systems where user-generated content can be executed in the context of other users.