CVE-2023-2296 in Loginizer Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 05/30/2023
The Loginizer WordPress plugin before 1.7.9 does not escape a 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
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/24/2023
The Loginizer WordPress plugin version 1.7.8 and earlier contains a critical reflected cross-site scripting vulnerability that poses significant security risks to WordPress installations. This vulnerability stems from improper input sanitization within the plugin's codebase, specifically in how it handles user-supplied parameters during the authentication process. The flaw exists in the plugin's handling of HTTP request parameters that are directly echoed back to the user's browser without appropriate escaping or encoding mechanisms. When an attacker crafts a malicious URL containing crafted script payloads and convinces a high-privilege user such as an administrator to click on the link, the malicious code executes within the victim's browser context, potentially leading to complete account compromise.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which describes cross-site scripting flaws where untrusted data is embedded into web pages without proper sanitization. The vulnerability operates through a reflected XSS attack vector where the malicious payload is reflected off the web server and executed in the victim's browser. This particular flaw affects the plugin's authentication and login page handling, making it particularly dangerous since it targets administrative users who possess elevated privileges. The vulnerability occurs because the plugin fails to properly escape or encode user input before incorporating it into HTML output, allowing attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code that executes in the context of the authenticated user's session.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it represents a serious threat to WordPress site integrity and user security. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to steal administrator session cookies, perform unauthorized actions within the WordPress admin interface, or redirect users to malicious websites. The reflected nature of the vulnerability means that exploitation requires social engineering to convince administrators to click on malicious links, but once executed, the attack can have devastating consequences including full site compromise, data exfiltration, and potential lateral movement within the network. High-privilege users are particularly attractive targets because their access permissions can be leveraged to gain broader system access and control over sensitive data.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should prioritize immediate plugin updates to version 1.7.9 or later, which contain the necessary patches to address the XSS flaw. Organizations should also implement additional security measures including web application firewalls that can detect and block malicious script payloads, regular security audits of WordPress plugins and themes, and comprehensive user education about phishing and social engineering attacks. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of input validation and output escaping practices in web application development, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1212 which covers exploitation for credential access through web application vulnerabilities. Security teams should also consider implementing Content Security Policy headers to limit the execution of unauthorized scripts and monitor for suspicious user activity that might indicate exploitation attempts. Regular patch management processes should be established to ensure timely updates of all WordPress components, as this vulnerability highlights the critical need for maintaining current security configurations to prevent exploitation of known flaws.