CVE-2023-47876 in Perfmatters Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 11/30/2023
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') vulnerability in Perfmatters allows Reflected XSS.This issue affects Perfmatters: from n/a through 2.1.6.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/21/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-47876 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw in the Perfmatters plugin for WordPress systems. This reflected XSS vulnerability occurs during the web page generation process when the application fails to properly sanitize user input before incorporating it into dynamically generated web content. The flaw allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users, creating a persistent threat vector that can compromise user sessions and execute unauthorized actions. The vulnerability affects all versions of Perfmatters from the initial release through version 2.1.6, indicating a long-standing issue that has not been adequately addressed in the plugin's input validation mechanisms.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the plugin's failure to neutralize potentially malicious input during the dynamic page generation phase. When user-supplied data is processed and rendered within web pages without proper sanitization, attackers can craft malicious payloads that exploit the reflected XSS pattern. This allows threat actors to inject scripts that execute in the context of other users' browsers, potentially leading to session hijacking, data theft, or unauthorized administrative actions. The vulnerability specifically manifests when the application reflects user input back to the browser without appropriate encoding or escaping mechanisms, creating an environment where malicious code can be executed in the victim's browser context.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to perform a wide range of malicious activities within the compromised user environment. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, modify page content, or even escalate privileges if the affected users have administrative capabilities. The reflected nature of this XSS vulnerability means that attackers must trick users into clicking malicious links containing the exploit payload, making it particularly dangerous in phishing campaigns or social engineering attacks. This vulnerability directly violates the principle of input validation and output encoding that forms the foundation of secure web application development practices.
Security mitigations for CVE-2023-47876 should focus on immediate patching of the Perfmatters plugin to version 2.1.7 or later, which contains the necessary fixes for input sanitization and output encoding. Organizations should also implement additional defensive measures including web application firewalls that can detect and block XSS attack patterns, comprehensive input validation routines that sanitize all user-supplied data, and proper output encoding for all dynamic content generation. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for initial access through spearphishing attachments or links. Network administrators should monitor for suspicious traffic patterns and implement content security policies to limit the execution of unauthorized scripts, while security teams should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify any other potential XSS vulnerabilities in the web application stack.