CVE-2023-47223 in Basic Interactive World Map Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 11/08/2023
Auth. (admin+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in WP Map Plugins Basic Interactive World Map plugin <= 2.0 versions.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/20/2025
The CVE-2023-47223 vulnerability represents a critical stored cross-site scripting flaw within the WP Map Plugins Basic Interactive World Map WordPress plugin, affecting versions up to and including 2.0. This vulnerability specifically targets administrative users with privileges of administrator or higher, making it particularly dangerous in environments where plugin functionality is frequently used by privileged personnel. The issue stems from insufficient input validation and output sanitization mechanisms within the plugin's codebase, creating an avenue for malicious actors to inject persistent malicious scripts into the application's data storage.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of user input fields within the plugin's administrative interface, where submitted data is stored in the database without proper sanitization. When authenticated administrators or higher-privileged users interact with the affected plugin functionality, the malicious scripts are executed within their browser context, potentially enabling attackers to steal session cookies, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of victims, or redirect users to malicious websites. The stored nature of this vulnerability means that the malicious payload persists in the database and affects all users who view the compromised content, unlike reflected XSS which requires specific user interaction with a crafted link.
The operational impact of CVE-2023-47223 extends beyond simple script execution, as it can facilitate more sophisticated attacks within WordPress environments. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to establish persistent backdoors, harvest sensitive administrative credentials, or manipulate map data to create misleading geographic information. The vulnerability's classification under CWE-79 (Cross-site Scripting) and its alignment with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 (Phishing) demonstrates its potential for social engineering attacks where administrators are tricked into interacting with compromised plugin features. Additionally, the vulnerability may enable lateral movement within compromised WordPress installations, as attackers can use stolen administrative sessions to access other parts of the web application or underlying systems.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should prioritize immediate plugin updates to versions that address the stored XSS flaw, as recommended by the plugin developers and security vendors. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms within their WordPress installations, particularly for user-generated content and administrative interfaces. Network-based mitigations such as web application firewalls and content security policies can provide additional layers of protection, while regular security audits of installed plugins should be conducted to identify other potentially vulnerable components. Security monitoring should include detection of anomalous administrative activities and unauthorized plugin modifications that may indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability also underscores the importance of maintaining up-to-date security practices including role-based access controls, regular security assessments, and adherence to secure coding standards that prevent similar issues in custom plugin development.