CVE-2023-40328 in Carrrot Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 09/06/2023
Auth. (admin+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Carrrot plugin <= 1.1.0 versions.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/02/2023
The CVE-2023-40328 vulnerability represents a critical stored cross-site scripting flaw within the Carrrot plugin for WordPress, affecting versions up to and including 1.1.0. This vulnerability resides in the plugin's administrative interface where unauthenticated attackers with administrator privileges or higher can exploit the weakness to inject malicious scripts into the application's database. The flaw specifically manifests when the plugin processes user input through its configuration settings or content management features, failing to properly sanitize or encode user-supplied data before storing it in the database and subsequently rendering it to other users. The vulnerability's classification as a stored XSS means that malicious scripts are permanently stored on the server and executed whenever legitimate users access the affected pages, making it particularly dangerous for widespread impact.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the Carrrot plugin's backend processing logic. When administrators modify plugin settings or enter content through the admin dashboard, the application does not adequately filter or escape special characters that could be interpreted as HTML or JavaScript code. This failure directly aligns with CWE-79, which defines cross-site scripting vulnerabilities as weaknesses that occur when an application includes untrusted data in web pages without proper validation or encoding. The vulnerability's exploitation requires an attacker to possess administrative or higher privileges, making it a privilege escalation issue that can be leveraged for more severe attacks within the WordPress environment. The stored nature of this XSS flaw means that once the malicious payload is injected, it persists and affects all users who view the affected content, creating a continuous threat vector that remains active until the malicious code is removed from the database.
The operational impact of CVE-2023-40328 extends beyond simple script execution, potentially enabling attackers to hijack user sessions, steal sensitive administrative credentials, or manipulate the plugin's functionality to perform unauthorized actions. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to execute malicious scripts that redirect users to phishing sites, steal cookies containing session information, or inject additional malicious code that could compromise the entire WordPress installation. The vulnerability's presence in an administrative plugin makes it particularly attractive to attackers seeking to establish persistent access to the WordPress environment, as it allows for the execution of scripts that could modify plugin behavior, create backdoor access, or exfiltrate data from the system. Furthermore, this vulnerability can be exploited as part of broader attack chains within the MITRE ATT&CK framework, specifically under the T1059.001 technique for command and scripting interpreter, where attackers can execute malicious code through the compromised plugin interface. The stored nature of the vulnerability means that the attack surface remains active even after the initial exploitation, potentially allowing for extended periods of unauthorized access.
Organizations affected by CVE-2023-40328 should immediately implement multiple layers of mitigation strategies to protect their WordPress installations from exploitation. The primary and most effective mitigation involves upgrading to Carrrot plugin version 1.1.1 or later, which includes proper input sanitization and output encoding mechanisms to prevent malicious script injection. System administrators should also implement comprehensive monitoring of plugin configuration changes and user activity within the WordPress admin interface to detect potential exploitation attempts. Additionally, implementing content security policies (CSP) can provide an additional defense layer by restricting the sources from which scripts can be executed on the affected WordPress site. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls should be configured to detect and block known malicious patterns associated with XSS attacks. Regular security audits of installed plugins and themes should be conducted to identify other potentially vulnerable components, as this vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation in all web application components. The remediation process should also include thorough database scanning to identify and remove any previously injected malicious scripts, along with implementing proper access controls and privilege management to limit the potential impact of similar vulnerabilities in other administrative components.