CVE-2023-1374 in Solidres Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 03/13/2023
The Solidres plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via the 'currency_name' parameter in versions up to, and including, 0.9.4 due to insufficient input sanitization and output escaping. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers with administrator privileges to inject arbitrary web scripts in pages that will execute whenever a user accesses an injected page.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/04/2023
The Solidres plugin for WordPress represents a significant security vulnerability classified as CVE-2023-1374, which manifests as a stored cross-site scripting flaw affecting versions through 0.9.4. This vulnerability resides within the plugin's handling of the 'currency_name' parameter, where inadequate input sanitization and output escaping mechanisms fail to properly validate or encode user-supplied data before it is stored in the database and subsequently rendered in web pages. The flaw operates at the intersection of weak input validation and insufficient output encoding, creating a persistent vector for malicious script injection that can affect all users who access compromised pages.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires an authenticated attacker with administrator privileges, which significantly reduces the attack surface but does not eliminate the risk entirely. Attackers can leverage their elevated access to manipulate the 'currency_name' parameter through the plugin's administrative interface, injecting malicious JavaScript code that gets stored in the database. When legitimate users subsequently access pages containing this compromised data, the stored scripts execute in their browsers, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or further exploitation of the compromised user environment. This represents a classic stored XSS vulnerability pattern that aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications.
The operational impact of CVE-2023-1374 extends beyond simple script execution, as it provides attackers with a persistent foothold within the WordPress environment. Once successfully exploited, the vulnerability can enable attackers to manipulate the plugin's functionality, potentially altering currency display settings or redirecting users to malicious sites. The stored nature of the vulnerability means that the malicious scripts remain active until manually removed from the database, creating a long-term threat vector that can persist even after the initial attack window has passed. This persistent threat model increases the potential for data exfiltration and further compromise of the WordPress installation.
Security professionals should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to the latest version of the Solidres plugin where the vulnerability has been addressed, applying the vendor's security patches, and conducting thorough database audits to identify any previously injected malicious scripts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation and output escaping practices as outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and ATT&CK framework's T1212 technique for exploitation of web application vulnerabilities. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and content security policies to provide additional defense-in-depth measures against similar stored XSS attacks. Regular security assessments and code reviews focused on input handling and output encoding practices can help prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in other components of the WordPress ecosystem.