CVE-2023-25711 in Translate Options Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 04/07/2023
Unauth. Reflected Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in WPGlobus WPGlobus Translate Options plugin <= 2.1.0 versions.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/24/2023
The CVE-2023-25711 vulnerability represents a critical unauthenticated reflected cross-site scripting flaw discovered in the WPGlobus Translate Options plugin for WordPress. This vulnerability affects versions up to and including 2.1.0, making it a significant concern for WordPress administrators and security professionals. The flaw resides within the plugin's handling of user input parameters, specifically in how it processes and reflects data back to users without proper sanitization or validation. The vulnerability stems from the plugin's failure to adequately filter and escape user-supplied data before incorporating it into dynamic web responses, creating an attack surface that malicious actors can exploit to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users.
The technical nature of this vulnerability places it firmly within the CWE-79 category, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting vulnerabilities in software applications. This classification indicates that the flaw allows attackers to inject client-side scripts into web pages viewed by other users, potentially leading to session hijacking, data theft, or unauthorized actions performed on behalf of victims. The reflected nature of the vulnerability means that the malicious script is reflected off the web server rather than being stored on the server, making it particularly dangerous as it can be delivered through various attack vectors including phishing emails, malicious links, or compromised websites. The vulnerability specifically impacts the plugin's administrative interface where user input parameters are processed and returned to the browser without appropriate output encoding or validation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to perform a wide range of malicious activities against affected WordPress installations. An unauthenticated attacker can craft malicious URLs that, when visited by administrators or other users, would execute arbitrary JavaScript code in their browsers. This could lead to session token theft, unauthorized access to administrative functions, data exfiltration, or the installation of backdoors on affected systems. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects a widely used translation plugin, meaning that many WordPress sites with multilingual capabilities could be at risk. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to gain persistent access to affected systems, potentially compromising entire WordPress installations and the sensitive data they contain.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-25711 should prioritize immediate patching of the affected plugin to version 2.1.1 or later, which contains the necessary security fixes. WordPress administrators should also implement additional security measures including input validation, output encoding, and the principle of least privilege when configuring plugin permissions. The vulnerability's classification under CWE-79 and its potential for enabling more sophisticated attacks aligns with ATT&CK techniques such as T1566 for social engineering and T1059 for command and scripting interpreters. Network-level protections including web application firewalls and security monitoring systems should be configured to detect and block suspicious traffic patterns associated with XSS attacks. Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments should be conducted to identify similar issues in other plugins or themes, as this vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input sanitization and output escaping in web applications. Organizations should also consider implementing content security policies and regularly updating their security protocols to address evolving threats in the WordPress ecosystem.