CVE-2023-30475 in RelyWP WooCommerce Affiliate Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 08/14/2023
Unauth. Reflected Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Elliot Sowersby, RelyWP WooCommerce Affiliate Plugin – Coupon Affiliates plugin <= 5.4.5 versions.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/08/2023
The CVE-2023-30475 vulnerability represents a critical unauthenticated reflected cross-site scripting flaw discovered in the RelyWP WooCommerce Affiliate Plugin - Coupon Affiliates plugin version 5.4.5 and earlier. This vulnerability resides within the WordPress ecosystem and specifically targets the plugin's handling of user input parameters. The flaw allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users without requiring authentication, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited by anyone with access to the affected website. The vulnerability manifests when the plugin fails to properly sanitize and validate input parameters received from HTTP requests, creating an entry point for malicious code execution.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability follows the classic reflected XSS pattern where user-controllable input is directly echoed back to the browser without proper output encoding or validation. Attackers can craft malicious URLs containing script payloads that, when visited by unsuspecting users, execute in the context of the victim's browser session. The vulnerability specifically affects parameters processed by the plugin's coupon affiliate functionality, where user input is not adequately filtered before being rendered in web responses. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-79 which categorizes weaknesses related to improper neutralization of input during web page generation, and more specifically aligns with CWE-79-Reflected which addresses reflected cross-site scripting vulnerabilities.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution as it can enable attackers to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, defacement of website content, and redirection to malicious sites. An attacker could leverage this vulnerability to steal administrator credentials, modify affiliate link configurations, or inject malicious advertisements through the compromised plugin. The reflected nature of the vulnerability means that attacks are typically delivered via phishing emails or social engineering campaigns where victims are tricked into clicking malicious links. This vulnerability directly maps to attack techniques described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under T1566 - Phishing and T1059 - Command and Scripting Interpreter, particularly focusing on the execution of malicious code through web-based attacks.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-30475 should prioritize immediate plugin updates to versions that have addressed the reflected XSS vulnerability. System administrators must ensure that all WordPress installations maintain current plugin versions and implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms. The recommended approach includes implementing Content Security Policy headers to limit script execution, deploying web application firewalls to detect and block malicious payloads, and conducting regular security audits of WordPress plugins. Additionally, organizations should enforce strict input validation for all user-controllable parameters and implement proper output encoding when rendering dynamic content to prevent script injection attacks. Regular security monitoring and vulnerability scanning should be maintained to identify and remediate similar issues before they can be exploited by threat actors. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining secure coding practices in WordPress plugins and highlights the necessity of thorough security testing for third-party components within web applications.