CVE-2023-23809 in Stock market charts from finviz Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 05/03/2023
Auth. (admin+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Moris Dov Stock market charts from finviz plugin <= 1.0.1 versions.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/27/2023
The CVE-2023-23809 vulnerability represents a critical authentication bypass issue within the Moris Dov Stock market charts plugin for WordPress, specifically affecting versions 1.0.1 and earlier. This security flaw resides in the plugin's handling of user input within the stock market chart display functionality, where administrators or users with elevated privileges can potentially inject malicious scripts into the system. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize user-supplied data before rendering it within the web interface. This allows authenticated users with administrator or higher privileges to execute stored cross-site scripting attacks against other users who view the affected charts, making it particularly dangerous in multi-user environments where administrative access is commonly shared.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs within the plugin's data processing pipeline where stock chart parameters and user-defined values are not adequately sanitized before being stored in the database and subsequently rendered in the browser. When administrators configure chart parameters or enter specific data points through the plugin interface, the input validation mechanisms fail to properly escape or filter potentially malicious script content. This stored XSS vulnerability operates through the persistence of malicious code within the plugin's database storage, which then gets executed whenever other authenticated users access the affected chart displays. The vulnerability specifically targets the plugin's chart rendering functionality and its integration with the finviz service, creating a vector where malicious payloads can be injected and executed in the context of other users' browsers.
The operational impact of CVE-2023-23809 extends beyond simple script execution, as it enables attackers with administrative privileges to potentially escalate their access and compromise the entire WordPress installation. Once a malicious script is stored in the system, it can be used to steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, inject additional malware, or perform actions on behalf of authenticated users. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it requires only administrative-level access to exploit, which means that if an attacker gains access to an administrator account or can manipulate an existing admin user's session, they can immediately begin executing malicious code against other users. This makes the vulnerability especially dangerous in environments where multiple administrators have access to the same system, as it can be exploited to create persistent backdoors or exfiltrate sensitive data from the WordPress installation.
Security mitigations for CVE-2023-23809 should prioritize immediate plugin updates to versions that address the stored XSS vulnerability, as this represents the most direct and effective solution. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding measures that follow established security best practices, including the use of context-specific escaping mechanisms for all user-supplied data. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which categorizes cross-site scripting flaws, and its exploitation patterns correspond to ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for phishing with malicious attachments, as the stored XSS could be used to deliver malicious payloads to unsuspecting users. Additionally, implementing proper access controls and monitoring for unusual administrative activities can help detect potential exploitation attempts. Regular security audits of WordPress plugins and themes, along with maintaining up-to-date security patches, are essential defensive measures that should be implemented to prevent similar vulnerabilities from occurring in other components of the web application ecosystem.