CVE-2023-3671 in MultiParcels Shipping for WooCommerce Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 08/07/2023
The MultiParcels Shipping For WooCommerce WordPress plugin before 1.15.4 does not sanitise and escape various parameters before outputting it back in the page, leading to a Reflected Cross-Site Scripting which could be used against high privilege users such as admin
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/09/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-3671 affects the MultiParcels Shipping For WooCommerce WordPress plugin, specifically versions prior to 1.15.4. This issue represents a classic reflected cross-site scripting flaw that arises from insufficient input sanitization and output escaping mechanisms within the plugin's codebase. The vulnerability exists in the plugin's handling of user-supplied parameters that are subsequently reflected back to users without proper sanitization, creating an avenue for malicious actors to inject arbitrary script code into web pages viewed by other users.
The technical flaw manifests when the plugin processes various parameters from HTTP requests and directly incorporates them into HTML output without appropriate sanitization or escaping measures. This occurs at multiple points within the plugin's functionality where user input is accepted through GET or POST parameters and then rendered back to the browser without proper context-aware escaping. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it targets high-privilege users such as administrators who may be logged into the WordPress admin interface when visiting malicious pages or clicking on compromised links. According to the CWE classification system, this vulnerability maps to CWE-79 which describes improper neutralization of input during web page generation, specifically covering reflected cross-site scripting scenarios.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection as it creates a potential attack vector for privilege escalation and session hijacking. When administrators visit pages containing malicious payloads, the injected scripts can execute in their browser context with full administrative privileges. This could enable attackers to modify plugin settings, access sensitive data, manipulate shipping configurations, or even install additional malware through the compromised admin session. The attack typically requires social engineering to convince administrators to visit malicious URLs, but once executed, the consequences can be severe for the entire WordPress installation and its associated data.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate plugin updates to version 1.15.4 or later, which contain the necessary sanitization and escaping fixes. Organizations should also implement comprehensive input validation at multiple layers including web application firewalls, content security policies, and regular security audits of WordPress plugins. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1566 which covers malicious input, and T1059 which covers command and scripting interpreter. Additionally, implementing proper output escaping using WordPress's built-in functions such as esc_attr() and esc_html() would prevent similar issues in future development. Security monitoring should include detection of unusual plugin access patterns and cross-site scripting attempts, while regular vulnerability scanning of WordPress installations remains crucial for identifying other potentially affected components in the broader ecosystem.