CVE-2023-46091 in Category SEO Meta Tags Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 10/27/2023
Auth. (admin+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Bala Krishna, Sergey Yakovlev Category SEO Meta Tags plugin
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/12/2023
The CVE-2023-46091 vulnerability represents a stored cross-site scripting flaw within the SEO Meta Tags plugin for WordPress, specifically affecting administrative users with privileges level of administrator or higher. This vulnerability resides in the plugin developed by Bala Krishna and Sergey Yakovlev, which is designed to manage search engine optimization metadata for wordpress sites. The issue manifests when administrators interact with the plugin's interface to configure SEO settings, particularly in fields that handle meta tag data. The vulnerability is classified as a stored XSS attack vector because malicious payloads are permanently stored on the server and executed whenever the affected page is loaded by other users, including administrators who may view the meta tag configurations.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the improper sanitization of user input within the plugin's administrative interface. When administrators enter specially crafted malicious scripts into meta tag fields, these inputs are not adequately validated or escaped before being stored in the database. Subsequently, when the plugin renders these stored values back to the user interface, the malicious javascript code executes within the context of the administrator's browser session. This creates a persistent threat that can be leveraged to steal session cookies, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of administrators, or redirect users to malicious websites. The vulnerability specifically targets the plugin's handling of meta tag configurations where user-provided data is directly incorporated into dynamic html output without proper context-aware escaping mechanisms.
The operational impact of CVE-2023-46091 extends beyond simple script execution as it provides attackers with a potential foothold for more sophisticated attacks within the wordpress environment. Administrators who view the plugin's meta tag configurations become victims of the stored XSS attack, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where multiple administrators have access to the plugin interface. The attack can be used to escalate privileges, extract sensitive data from the wordpress admin panel, or establish persistent backdoors through session hijacking. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and could be categorized under ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for initial access through malicious web content. The attack chain typically involves obtaining administrative credentials or exploiting the XSS to gain unauthorized access to the plugin interface, followed by injection of malicious scripts that persist in the database and execute against other administrators.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate plugin updates from the vendor to address the input sanitization flaws, along with implementing proper output escaping mechanisms for all user-provided data within the plugin's administrative interface. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls with XSS detection capabilities, conducting regular security audits of installed plugins, and establishing strict input validation policies for all user-facing interfaces. Additionally, administrators should be trained to recognize potential XSS attack vectors and to avoid interacting with untrusted plugin configurations. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper data sanitization and context-aware escaping, particularly in administrative interfaces where privileged users interact with potentially malicious input. Security teams should monitor for exploitation attempts through log analysis and implement defense-in-depth strategies including regular vulnerability scanning of wordpress installations and maintaining up-to-date security patches for all plugins and core wordpress components.