CVE-2023-49740 in Seraphinite Accelerator Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 12/14/2023
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') vulnerability in Seraphinite Solutions Seraphinite Accelerator allows Reflected XSS.This issue affects Seraphinite Accelerator: from n/a through 2.20.28.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/21/2025
The CVE-2023-49740 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw in the Seraphinite Accelerator web application, specifically within the input processing mechanism during web page generation. This vulnerability falls under the well-known CWE-79 category, which classifies improper neutralization of input during web page generation as a primary vector for XSS attacks. The flaw manifests when the application fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input before incorporating it into dynamically generated web content, creating an environment where malicious scripts can be executed in the context of other users' browsers. The vulnerability is classified as reflected XSS because the malicious payload is embedded in the application's response to a user request, typically through URL parameters or form fields, making it particularly dangerous for web applications that process user input directly into their output.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires an attacker to craft a malicious payload that gets reflected back to the user through the vulnerable application's response. When a user visits a specially crafted URL containing the malicious script, the application processes this input without adequate sanitization or encoding, causing the script to execute in the victim's browser. This allows attackers to perform actions such as stealing session cookies, defacing web pages, redirecting users to malicious sites, or executing unauthorized commands within the user's browser context. The vulnerability affects all versions of Seraphinite Accelerator from the initial release through version 2.20.28, indicating a long-standing issue that has not been properly addressed in the application's input validation mechanisms. The reflected nature of this XSS vulnerability means that attackers typically need to entice users to click on malicious links, making social engineering a crucial component of successful exploitation attempts.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can lead to complete session hijacking, data theft, and potential privilege escalation within the application's user context. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to impersonate legitimate users, access sensitive data, modify application behavior, or use the compromised user's privileges to perform unauthorized operations. The reflected XSS nature also makes this vulnerability particularly challenging to detect and prevent through traditional security measures, as the malicious input is only present in the response to specific requests rather than being permanently stored within the application. This characteristic requires continuous monitoring and input validation at multiple points within the application's request handling pipeline, making it a significant concern for organizations relying on the Seraphinite Accelerator platform for their web applications.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-49740 should prioritize immediate patching of the affected application versions to address the root cause of the input sanitization failure. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application's codebase, ensuring that all user-supplied data is properly sanitized before being incorporated into web page content. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide an additional layer of protection against XSS attacks by restricting the sources from which scripts can be loaded and executed. Regular security testing including automated scanning and manual penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities within the application's codebase. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter, as attackers can leverage the XSS vulnerability to execute malicious scripts in user browsers. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and security monitoring systems to detect and prevent exploitation attempts targeting this specific vulnerability. The remediation process should include thorough code reviews to identify other potential input handling issues that may present similar security risks within the application's architecture.