CVE-2023-25046 in Podcast Publisher Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 04/07/2023
Auth. (admin+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Podlove Podlove Podcast Publisher plugin <= 3.8.2 versions.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/24/2023
The CVE-2023-25046 vulnerability represents a critical stored cross-site scripting flaw within the Podlove Podcast Publisher WordPress plugin, affecting versions 3.8.2 and earlier. This vulnerability specifically targets administrative users with privileges of level admin or higher, making it particularly dangerous in environments where plugin administrators have elevated access rights. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output sanitization mechanisms within the plugin's codebase, allowing malicious actors with administrative access to inject persistent malicious scripts into the application's database. These scripts then execute whenever legitimate users access affected pages, creating a persistent threat vector that can compromise user sessions and potentially escalate to full system compromise.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability resides in the plugin's handling of user-supplied content within administrative interfaces. When administrators input data into specific fields within the podcast publisher plugin, the application fails to properly sanitize or encode the content before storing it in the database. This stored data is subsequently retrieved and displayed without adequate security measures, creating the classic conditions for stored XSS exploitation. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates at the administrative level, meaning that an attacker who gains access to an admin account or successfully performs credential compromise can leverage this flaw to execute malicious scripts across all user sessions. The attack vector typically involves injecting malicious JavaScript code through form inputs, media upload descriptions, or podcast metadata fields that are processed by the vulnerable plugin components.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable sophisticated attack chains that compromise entire WordPress installations. An attacker with administrative access can use this vulnerability to steal session cookies, modify plugin configurations, access sensitive podcast data, or even redirect users to malicious domains. The persistent nature of stored XSS means that the malicious payload remains active until explicitly removed from the database, potentially affecting countless users over extended periods. This vulnerability directly aligns with CWE-79 which describes cross-site scripting flaws, and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for credential harvesting through phishing and T1071.001 for application layer protocol usage. The attack surface is particularly wide given that podcast publishers often contain sensitive metadata, user information, and administrative controls that could be exploited for further compromise.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-25046 should prioritize immediate plugin version updates to the latest secure release, which typically includes proper input sanitization and output encoding mechanisms. Organizations should implement comprehensive access control measures, including role-based permissions and regular administrative credential rotation, to minimize the risk of unauthorized access to administrative interfaces. Network-based protections such as web application firewalls can provide additional detection and prevention capabilities, while regular security audits of WordPress plugins and themes should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities. The remediation process should include thorough database scanning for any already injected malicious content, along with monitoring for unusual administrative activities that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, implementing proper content security policies and regular security assessments of web applications can help prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in the future, ensuring that input validation and output encoding practices meet current security standards.