CVE-2023-45004 in Woo Custom Emails Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 10/25/2023
Unauth. Reflected Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in wp3sixty Woo Custom Emails plugin <= 2.2 versions.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/04/2023
The CVE-2023-45004 vulnerability represents a critical unauthenticated reflected cross-site scripting flaw within the wp3sixty Woo Custom Emails plugin version 2.2 and earlier. This vulnerability resides in the plugin's handling of user input parameters that are directly reflected back to users without proper sanitization or encoding mechanisms. The issue affects WordPress environments where this specific plugin version is installed and active, creating a significant security risk for e-commerce platforms that rely on WooCommerce for their operations.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the plugin's failure to properly validate and sanitize input parameters received through HTTP request methods, particularly GET parameters. When malicious actors craft specially formatted URLs containing script payloads and distribute them through phishing campaigns or social engineering tactics, unsuspecting users who click these links will have their browsers execute the injected malicious scripts. The reflected nature of this vulnerability means that the malicious code is not stored on the server but rather passed through the web application to the user's browser, making it particularly challenging to detect through traditional security monitoring approaches.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, data exfiltration, and redirection to malicious websites. The unauthenticated nature of the exploit means that no prior access or credentials are required to exploit the vulnerability, making it particularly dangerous for public-facing web applications. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to manipulate user sessions, potentially gaining unauthorized access to customer accounts, viewing sensitive order information, or even modifying customer data within the WooCommerce platform. The vulnerability affects the core functionality of the plugin's email customization features, which are commonly used by online retailers to communicate with customers about order status, shipping updates, and promotional offers.
Organizations should immediately implement several mitigation strategies to address this vulnerability. The primary and most effective remediation involves upgrading to the latest version of the wp3sixty Woo Custom Emails plugin where the XSS vulnerability has been patched. Security teams should also consider implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms at the web application level, ensuring that all user-supplied parameters are properly sanitized before being processed or returned to users. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls can provide additional defense-in-depth measures, though these should not be considered a substitute for proper code-level fixes. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and it maps to ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for initial access through spearphishing attachments, highlighting the potential for this vulnerability to serve as an entry point for more sophisticated attacks. Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments should be conducted to identify similar issues in other plugins and custom code implementations within the WordPress ecosystem.