CVE-2023-23994 in Auto Hide Admin Bar Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 04/07/2023
Auth. (admin+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Marcel Bootsman Auto Hide Admin Bar plugin <= 1.6.1 versions.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/24/2023
The CVE-2023-23994 vulnerability represents a critical stored cross-site scripting flaw within the Marcel Bootsman Auto Hide Admin Bar WordPress plugin, affecting versions up to and including 1.6.1. This vulnerability specifically targets authenticated users with administrator privileges or higher, making it particularly dangerous in environments where administrative access is prevalent. The flaw allows attackers with elevated permissions to inject malicious scripts into the plugin's configuration interface, which then executes in the context of other administrators who view the affected pages. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is classified as a common web application security weakness that enables attackers to inject client-side scripts into web pages viewed by other users. The vulnerability exists due to insufficient input validation and output escaping mechanisms within the plugin's codebase, particularly when processing user-supplied data through the admin interface.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires an attacker to possess administrative or higher privileges within the WordPress environment, which aligns with the authentication requirements specified in the CVE description. Once authenticated, the attacker can navigate to the plugin's settings page and inject malicious JavaScript code into configurable fields. The stored nature of this vulnerability means that the malicious script is permanently saved within the plugin's configuration, making it persistent and automatically executed whenever any administrator visits the affected pages. This creates a significant risk for privilege escalation and data exfiltration, as the malicious code can leverage the high-privilege context to perform actions such as reading sensitive configuration data, modifying user permissions, or even establishing backdoors within the WordPress installation. The vulnerability's impact is amplified by the fact that administrators often have broad access to system functions and sensitive information.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a substantial risk to WordPress installations that rely on the Auto Hide Admin Bar plugin, particularly in enterprise environments where multiple administrators manage complex systems. The stored nature of the XSS attack means that the malicious payload remains active even after the initial injection, potentially affecting all subsequent administrators who interact with the plugin interface. This creates a persistent threat vector that could be exploited for extended periods without detection, making it particularly dangerous for maintaining long-term security posture. The vulnerability can be leveraged to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, and unauthorized modifications to the WordPress configuration. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1059.001 (Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell) and T1566.001 (Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment) through the potential for credential harvesting and lateral movement within the compromised environment. Organizations using this plugin are particularly vulnerable during routine administrative tasks when administrators are most active and likely to encounter the malicious payloads.
The recommended mitigation strategy for CVE-2023-23994 involves immediate patching of the Auto Hide Admin Bar plugin to version 1.6.2 or later, which contains the necessary security fixes to address the stored XSS vulnerability. Administrators should also implement additional security measures such as regular security audits of installed plugins, monitoring for unauthorized modifications to plugin configurations, and implementing proper access controls to limit administrative privileges to only essential personnel. Input sanitization and output escaping mechanisms should be strengthened across all plugin interfaces, and organizations should consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious script injections. The vulnerability underscores the importance of maintaining up-to-date security practices and regular plugin vulnerability assessments as part of comprehensive cybersecurity programs. Security teams should also establish monitoring procedures to detect potential exploitation attempts and maintain incident response protocols specifically addressing stored XSS vulnerabilities in content management systems.