CVE-2023-46069 in Ajax Archive Calendar Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 10/25/2023
Auth. (contributor+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Osmansorkar Ajax Archive Calendar plugin
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/16/2023
The CVE-2023-46069 vulnerability represents a stored cross-site scripting flaw within the Osmansorkar Ajax Archive Calendar WordPress plugin that affects users with contributor level privileges or higher. This vulnerability resides in the plugin's handling of user input within calendar archive functionality, creating a persistent security risk that can be exploited by authenticated attackers. The issue stems from inadequate input validation and output sanitization mechanisms that fail to properly escape or encode user-supplied data before storing and rendering it within the plugin's archive calendar display. This particular vulnerability operates under the Common Weakness Enumeration classification of CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting vulnerabilities where untrusted data is improperly incorporated into web pages without appropriate sanitization measures.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires an attacker to possess contributor-level access or greater within a WordPress environment, which typically includes users who can publish posts and have some administrative capabilities. Once authenticated, the malicious actor can inject malicious script code through the plugin's archive calendar functionality, which then gets stored within the application's database. When other users view the calendar archive page, the stored malicious script executes in their browsers, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites. The stored nature of this vulnerability means that the malicious payload persists even after the initial injection, making it particularly dangerous as it can affect multiple users over extended periods without requiring repeated exploitation attempts.
The operational impact of CVE-2023-46069 extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable more sophisticated attack vectors within the compromised WordPress environment. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to establish persistent access through session manipulation, steal administrative credentials, or deploy additional malware within the compromised site. The vulnerability's presence in a calendar plugin specifically targets content management systems where users frequently interact with time-based data displays, making it particularly effective for targeting administrators who regularly monitor archive information. This vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001, which involves the exploitation of web applications through malicious input, and T1071.001, covering application layer protocol usage including web protocols. The persistence of stored XSS makes it especially concerning for organizations that rely heavily on calendar and archive functionality for business operations.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-46069 should prioritize immediate patching of the affected Osmansorkar Ajax Archive Calendar plugin to the latest version that addresses the XSS vulnerability. Organizations should implement strict input validation and output encoding measures within their WordPress environments, particularly for user-generated content in calendar and archive components. Network monitoring should be enhanced to detect suspicious script injection patterns, and security headers including Content Security Policy should be implemented to limit script execution. Regular security audits of WordPress plugins and themes are essential to identify similar vulnerabilities, while user access controls should be maintained to limit contributor privileges to only necessary functions. Additionally, implementing web application firewalls and regular security scanning can help detect and prevent exploitation attempts, while comprehensive backup strategies ensure rapid recovery in case of successful attacks.