CVE-2023-45609 in Contact Form Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 11/30/2023
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') vulnerability in POWR.Io Contact Form – Custom Builder, Payment Form, and More allows Stored XSS.This issue affects Contact Form – Custom Builder, Payment Form, and More: from n/a through 2.1.0.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/21/2023
This vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw that enables attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users. The vulnerability exists within the POWR.Io Contact Form – Custom Builder, Payment Form, and More plugin, specifically affecting versions prior to 2.1.0. The issue stems from improper input sanitization during web page generation processes, creating an environment where malicious code can be stored and subsequently executed when legitimate users access affected pages. This stored XSS vulnerability allows attackers to persistently inject malicious scripts that execute in the context of other users' browsers, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or further exploitation of the victim's browser session.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a failure in input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the plugin's form processing components. When users submit data through the contact or payment forms, the application fails to properly sanitize or escape user-supplied content before storing it in the database or rendering it on web pages. This flaw directly maps to CWE-79 which defines Cross-Site Scripting as a weakness where web applications fail to properly neutralize input data that is subsequently used in web page generation. The vulnerability operates at the application layer where user input transitions from being processed to being rendered, creating a persistent attack vector that can affect multiple users over time.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it provides attackers with persistent access to victim sessions and potentially full system compromise. An attacker could inject malicious scripts that steal cookies, session tokens, or other sensitive information from users who view affected pages. The stored nature of this vulnerability means that once an attacker successfully injects malicious code, it will continue to affect all users who encounter the compromised content until the vulnerability is patched or the malicious input is removed. This persistent threat makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where multiple users regularly access the same forms or content, as the attack surface expands with each compromised user session. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1531 which involves establishing persistence through malicious scripts and T1071.1 which covers application layer protocol usage for command and control communications.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate patching of the affected plugin to version 2.1.0 or later, which contains the necessary input sanitization fixes. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation mechanisms that properly escape or encode all user-supplied content before storage or rendering, following secure coding practices that prevent XSS vulnerabilities. Network administrators should consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block known XSS attack patterns, while security teams should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments of all installed plugins and themes to identify similar input sanitization issues. Regular security monitoring and automated patch management processes should be established to prevent similar vulnerabilities from remaining unaddressed in the future, as this type of flaw represents a common entry point for attackers seeking to establish persistent access to web applications and their underlying user bases.