CVE-2023-32595 in Palasthotel Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 08/25/2023
Auth. (admin+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Palasthotel by Edward Bock, Katharina Rompf Sunny Search plugin <= 1.0.2 versions.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/20/2023
The vulnerability CVE-2023-32595 represents a stored cross-site scripting flaw within the Sunny Search plugin for WordPress, specifically affecting versions up to and including 1.0.2. This issue resides within the Palasthotel by Edward Bock plugin ecosystem and requires administrative privileges or higher to exploit effectively. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output sanitization mechanisms within the plugin's administrative interfaces, creating a persistent security risk that can affect all users of the affected WordPress installation.
This stored XSS vulnerability operates by allowing authenticated administrators or users with equivalent privileges to inject malicious script code into the plugin's administrative forms or configuration settings. When other users, including less privileged administrators or even regular site visitors who can access the affected administrative interfaces, view the maliciously stored content, the injected scripts execute within their browsers. The attack vector specifically targets the plugin's handling of user-supplied data that is subsequently rendered without proper sanitization, creating a persistent threat that can affect multiple users over time rather than a single session-based attack.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers with administrative access to escalate privileges, steal session cookies, perform unauthorized administrative actions, or redirect users to malicious domains. The stored nature of the vulnerability means that once the malicious payload is injected, it persists in the database and continues to affect users until manually removed or the vulnerability is patched. This characteristic aligns with CWE-079, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting vulnerabilities where input is not properly validated or escaped before being rendered in web pages.
Security professionals should recognize this vulnerability as a critical concern within WordPress environments where the affected plugin is installed, particularly in scenarios where multiple administrators have access to the system. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a technique involving web application attacks, specifically targeting the execution of malicious code through user input manipulation. Organizations should prioritize patching this vulnerability immediately, as it provides attackers with a persistent foothold within the WordPress environment and can serve as a stepping stone for more extensive attacks. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of input validation and output escaping in web applications, particularly within administrative interfaces where privileged users interact with the system.
Mitigation strategies should include immediate patching of the Sunny Search plugin to version 1.0.3 or later, which addresses the stored XSS vulnerability through proper input sanitization and output encoding. Additionally, administrators should implement strict input validation policies for all plugin configurations and consider restricting administrative privileges to only essential personnel. Network monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual administrative activities, and regular security audits should verify that no malicious scripts have been injected into the system. The vulnerability also underscores the need for comprehensive security testing of third-party plugins before deployment, as it represents a failure in the plugin's security design to properly handle user-supplied data in administrative contexts.