CVE-2023-24006 in WP Terms Popup Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 04/06/2023
Auth. (admin+) Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Link Software LLC WP Terms Popup plugin <= 2.6.0 versions.
If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/06/2023
The CVE-2023-24006 vulnerability represents a critical authentication bypass scenario within the WP Terms Popup plugin ecosystem, specifically targeting versions up to and including 2.6.0. This security flaw manifests as a cross-site scripting vulnerability that requires administrative privileges or higher to exploit effectively, making it particularly concerning for WordPress environments where administrative access is often restricted to trusted personnel. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output sanitization mechanisms within the plugin's codebase, creating an entry point for malicious actors to inject malicious scripts into the application's response.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs through the improper handling of user-supplied data within the plugin's administrative interfaces. When administrators interact with the plugin's management features, particularly those related to popup configuration or term handling, the application fails to properly sanitize or escape user-provided content before rendering it in web responses. This allows attackers with administrative access levels or higher to craft malicious payloads that, when executed, can persist within the application's interface and execute in the context of other users' browsers. The vulnerability directly maps to CWE-79, which defines Cross-Site Scripting as a weakness where applications fail to properly validate or escape user input before incorporating it into dynamically generated web content.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it creates potential pathways for more sophisticated attacks within the compromised WordPress environment. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can manipulate the administrative interface to redirect users to malicious domains, steal session cookies, or execute additional malicious scripts that could lead to full system compromise. The vulnerability's presence in plugin versions up to 2.6.0 suggests a prolonged window of exposure, as many WordPress installations may have been running these outdated versions for extended periods. This exposure creates significant risk for organizations that have not maintained up-to-date security practices, particularly in environments where plugin updates are not regularly applied due to compatibility concerns or lack of proper maintenance procedures.
Security professionals should consider this vulnerability in the context of broader attack patterns documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework, specifically under the T1059.001 technique for Command and Scripting Interpreter and T1566.001 for Phishing. The vulnerability provides a potential initial access vector that can be leveraged to establish persistent presence within target environments, making it particularly dangerous when combined with other exploitation techniques. Organizations should implement immediate remediation measures including plugin version updates to versions that address this vulnerability, along with comprehensive security audits of administrative interfaces to identify similar sanitization issues. Network monitoring should be enhanced to detect suspicious script injection patterns, and administrative access should be restricted through multi-factor authentication and least privilege principles to minimize the potential impact of such vulnerabilities. The remediation process should also include thorough review of all plugin installations to ensure that no other vulnerable components exist within the WordPress ecosystem, as this vulnerability represents a pattern of inadequate input validation that may be present in other components of the application stack.