CVE-2023-5140 in Bonus for Woo Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 11/20/2023
The Bonus for Woo WordPress plugin before 5.8.3 does not sanitise and escape some parameters before outputting them back in pages, leading to Reflected Cross-Site Scripting which could be used against high privilege users such as admin.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/22/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-5140 affects the Bonus for Woo WordPress plugin version 5.8.3 and earlier, presenting a critical reflected cross-site scripting flaw that poses significant risks to administrative users. This vulnerability stems from inadequate input sanitization and output escaping mechanisms within the plugin's codebase, specifically in how it handles user-supplied parameters before rendering them back to web pages. The issue creates an environment where malicious actors can inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by authenticated users, particularly those with elevated privileges such as administrators.
The technical flaw manifests when the plugin fails to properly sanitize user input parameters before incorporating them into HTML output responses. This lack of proper sanitization creates a reflected XSS vector where malicious payloads can be executed in the context of a victim's browser session. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it targets high-privilege users, meaning that successful exploitation could allow attackers to gain administrative control over affected WordPress installations. The reflected nature of the vulnerability indicates that malicious input must be crafted specifically for each attack instance and delivered through a malicious URL or form submission, making it more challenging to automate but no less dangerous.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it represents a potential pathway for complete system compromise. When high-privilege users such as administrators interact with maliciously crafted URLs or content, the injected scripts can perform actions with the user's permissions, potentially leading to unauthorized access, data manipulation, or complete system takeover. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to steal session cookies, modify plugin settings, access sensitive data, or even install backdoors for persistent access. The reflected nature means that the attack requires user interaction with a specially crafted URL, but once executed, the consequences can be severe due to the elevated privileges of the target users.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting flaws in software applications, and represents a classic example of improper output escaping in web applications. From an ATT&CK perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving code injection and privilege escalation, potentially enabling adversaries to move laterally within compromised environments. Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation by updating to version 5.8.3 or later of the Bonus for Woo plugin, as this release includes the necessary patches to address the sanitization and escaping deficiencies. Additional mitigations include implementing proper input validation at multiple layers, conducting regular security audits of third-party plugins, and employing web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious script injections. Administrators should also consider implementing role-based access controls and monitoring for unusual administrative activities that might indicate exploitation attempts.