CVE-2023-3492 in WP Shopping Pages Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 08/07/2023
The WP Shopping Pages WordPress plugin through 1.14 does not have CSRF check in some places, and is missing sanitisation as well as escaping, which could allow attackers to make logged in admin add Stored XSS payloads via a CSRF attack.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/09/2023
The WP Shopping Pages WordPress plugin version 1.14 and earlier contains critical security vulnerabilities that create significant risks for WordPress administrators. This vulnerability stems from the plugin's failure to implement proper cross-site request forgery protection mechanisms in multiple administrative endpoints. The absence of CSRF tokens allows attackers to craft malicious requests that can be executed by authenticated administrators without their knowledge or consent. The flaw exists in the plugin's administrative interface where users can add or modify content, creating an attack surface that directly compromises the integrity of the WordPress installation.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability combines two distinct but related security failures that compound the risk. First, the plugin lacks proper CSRF protection mechanisms that would validate the origin and authenticity of administrative requests. Second, the plugin fails to properly sanitize and escape user input before processing or storing it within the WordPress database. This dual deficiency creates a perfect storm where an attacker can craft a malicious payload that appears legitimate to the WordPress admin interface, but when executed, introduces stored cross-site scripting vulnerabilities. The vulnerability specifically affects the plugin's administrative pages where content is added or modified, making it particularly dangerous for sites that rely on administrator privileges for content management.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or modification. When an authenticated administrator visits a malicious page or clicks on a crafted link, the stored XSS payload executes in their browser, potentially allowing attackers to hijack the administrator session, steal cookies, or perform unauthorized actions within the WordPress environment. The stored nature of the XSS means that the malicious code persists in the database and will execute every time the affected page is loaded, creating a long-term threat that can affect multiple users. This vulnerability directly violates the principle of least privilege and can lead to complete compromise of the WordPress installation, as administrators often have elevated permissions that can be exploited to gain deeper access to the server or other systems.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which describes Cross-Site Request Forgery, and CWE-79, which covers Cross-Site Scripting. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1078 for valid accounts and T1566 for social engineering techniques, as attackers must first gain administrative access or trick administrators into visiting malicious pages. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including updating to the latest version of the plugin, which should include proper CSRF token implementation, input sanitization, and output escaping. Additional protective measures include implementing Content Security Policy headers, regularly monitoring for suspicious administrative activities, and conducting security audits of third-party plugins. The vulnerability highlights the critical importance of proper security testing for WordPress plugins and the necessity of implementing defense-in-depth strategies to protect against such combined attack vectors that leverage multiple security weaknesses simultaneously.