CVE-2023-37979 in Ninja Forms Contact Form Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 07/27/2023
Unauth. Reflected Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Saturday Drive Ninja Forms Contact Form plugin <= 3.6.25 versions.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/24/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-37979 represents a critical unauthenticated reflected cross-site scripting flaw within the Saturday Drive Ninja Forms Contact Form plugin for WordPress. This security weakness affects versions up to and including 3.6.25, making a substantial portion of WordPress installations potentially vulnerable to malicious exploitation. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output sanitization mechanisms within the plugin's codebase, specifically in how it processes and renders user-supplied parameters in HTTP response headers.
The technical implementation of this XSS vulnerability occurs when the plugin fails to properly sanitize user input that is reflected back to the browser without adequate encoding or filtering. Attackers can craft malicious URLs containing script payloads that, when executed by unsuspecting users, can hijack sessions, steal cookies, or redirect victims to malicious domains. This reflected nature means the malicious script is not stored on the server but is instead injected through crafted requests that exploit the vulnerability in real-time. The flaw aligns with CWE-79 which classifies improper neutralization of input during web page generation as a primary weakness leading to XSS attacks. This vulnerability operates within the web application security domain and specifically relates to the OWASP Top Ten category A03: Injection, where reflected XSS is categorized as a critical threat vector.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution as it provides attackers with a pathway to establish persistent access to user sessions and potentially compromise entire WordPress installations. An attacker could leverage this vulnerability to perform actions such as modifying form configurations, accessing sensitive data, or even executing administrative functions if users with elevated privileges interact with the malicious links. The unauthenticated nature of this vulnerability makes it particularly dangerous as no prior access credentials are required to exploit the flaw, and the attack can be delivered through various vectors including email phishing campaigns, social media links, or compromised websites that direct users to the vulnerable plugin endpoints. This vulnerability can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1566.001 which covers Phishing with a malicious link, making it a significant threat in the initial access phase of cyber attacks.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-37979 should prioritize immediate plugin updates to versions that have patched the reflected XSS vulnerability, as the vendor has likely released security updates addressing this specific flaw. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation measures including the use of Content Security Policy headers to limit script execution, proper HTML encoding of all user-supplied data, and regular security audits of WordPress plugins and themes. Additionally, network-based intrusion detection systems can be configured to monitor for suspicious patterns in traffic that might indicate exploitation attempts. The implementation of web application firewalls can provide an additional layer of protection by filtering malicious requests before they reach the vulnerable plugin components. Security teams should also conduct regular vulnerability assessments and maintain updated inventories of all active plugins to ensure prompt patching of identified security flaws. Organizations should consider implementing automated monitoring solutions that can detect and alert on potential exploitation attempts targeting known vulnerable WordPress plugins, as this vulnerability represents a common attack vector in the current threat landscape.