CVE-2023-5469 in Drop Shadow Boxes Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 11/22/2023
The Drop Shadow Boxes plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via 'dropshadowbox' shortcode in versions up to, and including, 1.7.13 due to insufficient input sanitization and output escaping on user supplied attributes. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers with contributor-level and above permissions to inject arbitrary web scripts in pages that will execute whenever a user accesses an injected page.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/11/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-5469 affects the Drop Shadow Boxes plugin for WordPress, specifically impacting versions up to and including 1.7.13. This represents a critical security flaw that enables stored cross-site scripting attacks through the plugin's 'dropshadowbox' shortcode functionality. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input sanitization and insufficient output escaping mechanisms that fail to properly validate or sanitize user-supplied attributes before processing them within the plugin's shortcode implementation.
The technical flaw manifests when authenticated attackers with contributor-level permissions or higher exploit the plugin's failure to properly sanitize input parameters. These attackers can inject malicious JavaScript code through the dropshadowbox shortcode attributes, which are then stored within the WordPress database and executed whenever any user accesses pages containing the compromised shortcode. This stored nature of the vulnerability means that the malicious code persists and executes automatically without requiring additional user interaction beyond visiting the affected page. The vulnerability specifically affects the plugin's handling of user-supplied attributes within the shortcode processing pipeline, creating a persistent threat vector that can compromise multiple users over time.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it enables attackers to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, data exfiltration, and redirection to malicious sites. Since the vulnerability requires only contributor-level permissions, it represents a significant risk for WordPress sites where multiple users have varying permission levels, as a compromised contributor account can immediately become a foothold for broader system compromise. The stored nature of the XSS vulnerability means that even users who do not immediately visit affected pages can be compromised when they later access content containing the malicious code, creating a persistent threat that can spread throughout the user base. This vulnerability directly aligns with CWE-79 which categorizes cross-site scripting flaws, and could be leveraged by threat actors following ATT&CK techniques related to privilege escalation and persistence within compromised WordPress environments.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-5469 should prioritize immediate plugin updates to versions that address the input sanitization and output escaping deficiencies. Administrators should also implement additional security measures including restricting contributor-level permissions, monitoring for unauthorized shortcode modifications, and conducting regular security audits of WordPress plugins and themes. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide additional protection against script execution, while regular security scanning and monitoring of user activity can help detect potential exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block malicious shortcode parameters, and maintain comprehensive backup strategies to enable rapid recovery in case of successful exploitation. These defensive measures align with industry best practices for WordPress security and help establish layered protection against similar vulnerabilities in other plugins and themes.