CVE-2023-24374 in Photon WP Material Design Icons for Page Builders Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 04/06/2023
Auth. (contributor+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Photon WP Material Design Icons for Page Builders plugin <= 1.4.2 versions.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/24/2023
The vulnerability CVE-2023-24374 represents a stored cross-site scripting flaw within the Photon WP Material Design Icons for Page Builders WordPress plugin, affecting versions up to and including 1.4.2. This issue specifically targets users with contributor-level privileges or higher, making it particularly concerning for WordPress environments where multiple user roles exist with varying permission levels. The vulnerability arises from inadequate input sanitization and output escaping mechanisms within the plugin's codebase, creating an avenue for malicious actors to inject persistent malicious scripts into the application's database.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the plugin's failure to properly validate and sanitize user-supplied input data before storing it in the WordPress database. When contributors or higher-privileged users interact with the plugin's interface, their input is not sufficiently filtered through proper security mechanisms. This allows attackers to craft malicious payloads that get stored in the database and subsequently executed whenever other users view the affected content. The flaw operates as a classic stored XSS attack where the malicious script is permanently embedded in the application's data storage rather than being reflected in a single HTTP request.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it provides attackers with the ability to hijack user sessions, steal sensitive cookies, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of victims, and potentially escalate privileges within the WordPress environment. Contributors with elevated permissions can manipulate the plugin's functionality to inject malicious code that persists across user sessions, making the attack vector particularly dangerous for sites with multiple contributors or users who regularly interact with the plugin's interface. The stored nature of the vulnerability means that once exploited, the malicious payload continues to execute without requiring repeated user interaction, creating a persistent threat.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability should focus on immediate plugin updates to versions that address the XSS flaw, implementing proper input validation and output escaping mechanisms, and applying additional security measures such as content security policies. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block malicious payloads, conducting thorough security audits of all installed plugins, and ensuring that user permissions are strictly enforced through proper role-based access controls. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and follows patterns commonly identified in ATT&CK framework under T1566 for initial access through malicious content and T1059 for execution through scripting. The incident underscores the critical importance of regular security updates and comprehensive plugin security reviews in maintaining WordPress site integrity and protecting against persistent threats.