CVE-2023-2272 in Tiempo.com Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 08/16/2023
The Tiempo.com WordPress plugin through 0.1.2 does not sanitise and escape the page parameter before outputting it back in the page, leading to a Reflected Cross-Site Scripting which could be used against high privilege users such as admin
Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/10/2023
The CVE-2023-2272 vulnerability affects the Tiempo.com WordPress plugin version 0.1.2 and earlier, representing a critical reflected cross-site scripting flaw that poses significant security risks to WordPress environments. This vulnerability stems from inadequate input sanitization and output escaping mechanisms within the plugin's handling of the page parameter. The flaw allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by users, particularly targeting high-privilege accounts such as administrators who maintain elevated access levels within the WordPress ecosystem.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs when the plugin processes user-supplied input through the page parameter without proper validation or sanitization. When this unsanitized parameter is subsequently rendered back into the HTML output, it creates an opening for malicious script execution within the victim's browser context. This reflected XSS vector specifically targets the page parameter, which likely serves as a navigation or routing mechanism within the plugin's interface, making it a prime target for exploitation. The vulnerability's classification aligns with CWE-79, which defines cross-site scripting as a weakness where untrusted data is directly included in web pages without proper validation, encoding, or escaping mechanisms.
The operational impact of CVE-2023-2272 extends beyond simple script injection, as it specifically targets high-privilege users including administrators who possess extensive control over WordPress installations. When exploited against admin accounts, attackers can potentially escalate their privileges, access sensitive administrative functions, steal session cookies, or modify website content. The reflected nature of this vulnerability means that attackers must craft malicious URLs containing the exploit payload, which are then delivered to victims through phishing emails, social engineering campaigns, or compromised websites. This attack vector leverages the trust relationship between users and the WordPress platform, making it particularly dangerous in environments where administrators frequently click on links from external sources.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-2272 should prioritize immediate patching of the Tiempo.com plugin to version 0.1.3 or later, which presumably contains the necessary sanitization and escaping fixes. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation mechanisms that sanitize all user-supplied parameters before processing, particularly those used in dynamic content generation. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide additional defense-in-depth measures against script execution, while regular security audits of WordPress plugins should verify proper output escaping and input validation practices. Security teams should also monitor for exploitation attempts through web application firewalls and intrusion detection systems, as the reflected nature of this vulnerability creates detectable patterns in network traffic. The vulnerability's impact aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for scripting languages and T1566 for phishing attacks, highlighting the need for both technical and user awareness-based defenses.