CVE-2023-34026 in BrokenCrust This Day in History Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 06/12/2023
Unauth. Reflected Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in BrokenCrust This Day In History plugin <= 3.10.1 versions.
Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/08/2023
The CVE-2023-34026 vulnerability represents a critical unauthenticated reflected cross-site scripting flaw discovered in the BrokenCrust This Day In History WordPress plugin. This vulnerability affects versions up to and including 3.10.1, making it a significant security concern for WordPress users who have installed this plugin. The flaw resides in how the plugin handles user input parameters, specifically in the way it processes and reflects data back to users without proper sanitization or encoding mechanisms. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-79 as a weakness related to Cross-Site Scripting, which is a fundamental web application security issue that allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker crafts a malicious URL containing script code within the plugin's parameter handling mechanism. When an unsuspecting user visits this crafted URL, the malicious script executes within the user's browser context, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites. The reflected nature of this XSS means that the malicious payload is reflected off the web server rather than being stored, making it particularly dangerous as it requires no persistent storage on the target system. This type of vulnerability is categorized under the ATT&CK framework as T1566.001 - Phishing, specifically targeting credential access through malicious web content.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution as it can enable sophisticated attack chains where attackers leverage the XSS to establish persistent access to user sessions. Attackers can use this vulnerability to steal administrator credentials, manipulate content, or even escalate privileges within the WordPress environment. The unauthenticated nature of the vulnerability means that no prior access or credentials are required to exploit the flaw, making it particularly dangerous for widely used plugins. This vulnerability can be exploited by attackers to create backdoors, modify website content, or redirect users to phishing sites, all while maintaining the appearance of legitimate website behavior.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-34026 should prioritize immediate plugin updates to versions that have patched the reflected XSS vulnerability. System administrators should implement proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms to prevent script injection attacks. The use of Content Security Policy headers can provide additional defense-in-depth measures by restricting script execution from untrusted sources. Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments should include checks for outdated plugins and themes, as this vulnerability demonstrates the importance of keeping all WordPress components updated. Additionally, implementing web application firewalls and monitoring for suspicious parameter patterns can help detect and prevent exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing principle of least privilege access controls and regular security training for administrators to reduce the overall attack surface and improve incident response capabilities when such vulnerabilities are discovered.