CVE-2023-25041 in Monolit Theme
Summary
by MITRE • 04/07/2023
Unauth. Reflected Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Cththemes Monolit theme <= 2.0.6 versions.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/24/2023
The CVE-2023-25041 vulnerability represents a critical unauthenticated reflected cross-site scripting flaw discovered in the Cththemes Monolit WordPress theme affecting versions up to and including 2.0.6. This vulnerability resides within the theme's handling of user input parameters that are reflected back to users without proper sanitization or encoding mechanisms. The flaw specifically manifests when the theme processes certain query parameters in its front-end rendering logic, creating an opportunity for attackers to inject malicious scripts that execute in the context of authenticated users' browsers.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding practices within the theme's codebase. When users visit a page with maliciously crafted parameters, the theme fails to properly escape or filter user-supplied data before rendering it back to the browser. This allows attackers to construct malicious URLs containing script payloads that are executed when the vulnerable page loads. The reflected nature of this vulnerability means that the malicious script is not stored on the server but rather injected through crafted requests that target specific users or visitors.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to WordPress sites utilizing the affected theme. Attackers can leverage this flaw to steal session cookies, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of users, redirect victims to malicious sites, or even escalate privileges within the WordPress administration interface. The unauthenticated nature of the vulnerability means that any visitor to the affected website can exploit this weakness without requiring prior credentials or access rights. This makes the attack surface particularly broad and increases the likelihood of successful exploitation across various user demographics.
The impact extends beyond simple script execution as it can enable more sophisticated attack vectors including credential theft, session hijacking, and data exfiltration. Security researchers have classified this vulnerability under CWE-79 which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting flaws in software applications. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 which covers Phishing with Social Engineering, as attackers can craft convincing malicious URLs that appear legitimate to users. Organizations using the affected theme should immediately implement mitigations including updating to the latest theme version, implementing proper input validation at the application level, and deploying Content Security Policies to limit script execution. Additionally, regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of the WordPress ecosystem. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input sanitization and output encoding practices in web applications, particularly when dealing with user-supplied data that may be rendered in browser contexts.