CVE-2023-30481 in AGP Font Awesome Collection Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 08/10/2023
Unauth. Reflected Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Alexey Golubnichenko AGP Font Awesome Collection plugin <= 3.2.4 versions.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/05/2023
The CVE-2023-30481 vulnerability represents a critical unauthenticated reflected cross-site scripting flaw discovered in the AGP Font Awesome Collection plugin for WordPress. This vulnerability affects versions 3.2.4 and earlier, exposing websites utilizing this plugin to potential exploitation by malicious actors. The issue stems from insufficient input validation and output sanitization within the plugin's handling of user-supplied data, creating an avenue for attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by unsuspecting users.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when a malicious actor crafts a specially crafted URL containing malicious JavaScript code that gets reflected back to users browsing the affected website. The plugin fails to properly sanitize or escape user input parameters before rendering them in the web page output, allowing the injected script to execute within the victim's browser context. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-79 which specifically addresses improper neutralization of input during web page generation, making it a classic example of reflected cross-site scripting. The vulnerability's impact is amplified because it requires no authentication to exploit, making it particularly dangerous for widespread deployment.
The operational impact of CVE-2023-30481 extends beyond simple script execution as it can enable attackers to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, defacement of web content, and redirection to malicious sites. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to steal administrator credentials, inject backdoors, or manipulate website content to spread malware to visitors. The reflected nature of the attack means that the malicious payload is delivered through a link that, when clicked, executes the script in the victim's browser, making it particularly effective for phishing campaigns and social engineering attacks. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1059.007 for scripting and T1566.001 for spearphishing via web application, demonstrating the multi-faceted threat landscape it creates.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily focus on immediate remediation through plugin updates to versions that address the reflected XSS flaw. System administrators should prioritize updating the AGP Font Awesome Collection plugin to the latest available version that contains proper input sanitization and output escaping mechanisms. Additionally, implementing comprehensive web application firewalls and input validation rules can provide additional defense layers against exploitation attempts. Security monitoring should include detection of suspicious URL parameters and unusual traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Organizations should also conduct regular security audits of their WordPress installations, ensuring all plugins and themes are kept current with security patches. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input validation practices and output encoding as fundamental security controls that align with OWASP Top Ten security principles, specifically addressing the prevention of XSS vulnerabilities through proper data sanitization and context-aware output encoding.