CVE-2023-44145 in Anchor Episodes Index Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 10/25/2023
Auth. (admin+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in jesweb.Dev Anchor Episodes Index (Spotify for Podcasters) plugin <= 2.1.7 versions.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/25/2023
The vulnerability CVE-2023-44145 represents a stored cross-site scripting flaw within the jesweb.Dev Anchor Episodes Index plugin for WordPress, specifically affecting versions up to and including 2.1.7. This issue resides in the Spotify for Podcasters plugin ecosystem and presents a significant security risk to administrators and privileged users who interact with the podcast management interface. The vulnerability allows authenticated users with administrator or higher privileges to inject malicious scripts into the plugin's episode index functionality, which then executes in the context of other users' browsers when they view the affected content.
The technical implementation of this flaw stems from inadequate input validation and output sanitization within the plugin's handling of user-supplied data. When administrators or privileged users create or modify podcast episode entries through the Anchor Episodes Index interface, the plugin fails to properly sanitize or escape user-provided content before storing it in the database. This stored data is subsequently retrieved and displayed without adequate security measures, creating a persistent XSS vector that can be exploited by attackers who have gained administrative access or by leveraging other attack vectors that lead to privilege escalation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to perform a wide range of malicious activities including session hijacking, data exfiltration, and privilege escalation within the WordPress environment. Attackers could potentially steal administrator cookies, modify podcast content, access sensitive user data, or even establish persistent backdoors through the execution of malicious JavaScript code. The stored nature of the vulnerability means that the malicious scripts remain active until the affected plugin is updated or the malicious content is manually removed from the database, providing attackers with extended persistence opportunities.
Security professionals should consider this vulnerability in the context of the CWE-79 weakness classification, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting vulnerabilities where untrusted data is incorporated into web pages without proper sanitization. Additionally, this flaw aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.002 for credential access through phishing and T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter usage, as the XSS could facilitate both initial compromise and post-exploitation activities. Organizations should immediately implement mitigation strategies including updating to the latest plugin version, implementing web application firewalls, and conducting comprehensive security audits of their WordPress installations to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities across their entire plugin ecosystem.
The broader implications of this vulnerability highlight the critical importance of proper input validation and output escaping in web applications, particularly in administrative interfaces where privileged users interact with potentially untrusted data sources. This flaw demonstrates how seemingly minor security oversights in plugin development can create significant risks for entire WordPress installations, emphasizing the need for comprehensive security testing and regular updates as part of organizational security practices. The vulnerability serves as a reminder that even administrative plugins require rigorous security controls to prevent attackers from leveraging elevated privileges to compromise the entire platform.