CVE-2023-47239 in Easy PayPal Shopping Cart Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 11/16/2023
Auth. (contributor+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Scott Paterson Easy PayPal Shopping Cart plugin <= 1.1.10 versions.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/12/2023
The CVE-2023-47239 vulnerability represents a stored cross-site scripting flaw within the Easy PayPal Shopping Cart plugin for WordPress, specifically affecting versions up to and including 1.1.10. This vulnerability occurs due to insufficient input validation and output sanitization mechanisms within the plugin's contributor-level authentication system. The flaw allows authenticated users with contributor privileges or higher to inject malicious scripts into the plugin's administrative interfaces, which are then executed in the contexts of other users who view the affected content. The vulnerability stems from the plugin's failure to properly sanitize user-supplied data before storing and rendering it within the web application's user interface. This particular weakness creates a persistent threat vector where malicious scripts can be stored in the database and executed whenever authorized users access the affected administrative pages. The vulnerability is classified as a stored XSS attack because the malicious payload is permanently stored on the server and executed automatically when other users interact with the compromised data.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the plugin's handling of user-generated content within its administrative dashboard components. When contributors or higher-privileged users submit data through the plugin's interface, the application fails to adequately sanitize HTML characters and script tags from the input before persisting it to the database. This oversight allows attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code that gets executed whenever the stored content is rendered in the browser of authenticated users. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it requires only contributor-level privileges, which are often granted to trusted users within WordPress environments, making it more accessible to potential attackers. The attack vector typically involves crafting malicious payloads that exploit the plugin's form handling mechanisms, particularly around product descriptions, order notes, or customer information fields that are processed and stored within the plugin's database tables.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution as it provides attackers with persistent access to the compromised WordPress environment. Once successfully exploited, the malicious scripts can perform various actions including stealing session cookies, redirecting users to malicious sites, modifying content, or even executing further attacks against the underlying WordPress installation. The vulnerability creates a persistent threat that can affect multiple users within the administrative interface, as any contributor or higher-privileged user who views the compromised data becomes a potential victim of the stored XSS attack. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in collaborative environments where multiple users interact with the plugin's administrative features. The threat landscape for this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for credential access through phishing and T1059.001 for command and control through scripting, as the malicious payloads can be used to establish persistent access or exfiltrate sensitive information from the compromised environment.
Security mitigations for CVE-2023-47239 should focus on immediate plugin updates to versions that address the stored XSS vulnerability, along with comprehensive input validation and output sanitization measures. Organizations should implement strict content security policies to prevent unauthorized script execution and consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block malicious payloads. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation as outlined in CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting vulnerabilities through inadequate output encoding. Additionally, implementing principle of least privilege access controls can limit the potential impact of such vulnerabilities by restricting the permissions of users who can submit data to the affected plugin components. Regular security audits of WordPress plugins and themes should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities, and administrators should maintain updated security patches for all installed components. The remediation process should also include thorough sanitization of existing database content that may already contain malicious payloads, ensuring that any previously stored XSS attacks are properly neutralized before implementing the security fixes.