CVE-2026-42700 in Image Slider Widget Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 10/05/2026
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') vulnerability in GhozyLab Image Slider Widget image-slider-widget allows Stored XSS.This issue affects Image Slider Widget: from n/a through 1.1.130.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/05/2026
The identified security flaw represents a classic instance of Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, commonly known as Cross-site Scripting or XSS. Specifically, this vulnerability manifests within the GhozyLab Image Slider Widget for WordPress, affecting versions ranging from n/a through 1.1.130. The core technical deficiency lies in the application's failure to adequately sanitize user-supplied input before it is rendered back into web pages without proper encoding or escaping. This oversight allows malicious actors to inject client-side scripts that execute within the context of a victim's browser session, bypassing standard security controls such as the same-origin policy which normally isolates websites from each other.
In this specific implementation, the vulnerability enables Stored Cross-site Scripting rather than reflected XSS. Unlike reflected attacks where malicious code is contained within a single HTTP request and response, stored vulnerabilities involve the persistence of the injected payload on the target server's database or file system. When an attacker successfully exploits this flaw, they can embed JavaScript code into fields that are subsequently displayed to other users visiting the site. Consequently, every user who loads the affected page will have their browser execute the malicious script automatically. This persistent nature significantly amplifies the severity of the issue because a single successful injection point can compromise multiple victims over an extended period without requiring further interaction from the attacker after the initial payload delivery.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted, primarily centering on session hijacking and data theft. By executing arbitrary JavaScript in the context of the vulnerable website, an attacker gains access to sensitive information such as authentication cookies, session tokens, and potentially personally identifiable information stored within local storage or form fields. This capability allows for complete account takeover if the victim is authenticated with administrative privileges, which is particularly dangerous given that image slider widgets are often managed by site administrators who may have elevated permissions. Furthermore, attackers can leverage this access to deface web pages, redirect users to phishing sites designed to steal credentials from other visitors, or deploy additional malware payloads through drive-by download techniques. The trust associated with the legitimate domain also facilitates social engineering attacks that appear more credible than those originating from unknown sources.
From a classification perspective, this vulnerability aligns directly with CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting'). It is further categorized under OWASP Top 10 as A3:2021-Injection and specifically relates to the sub-category of Stored XSS. In terms of offensive security frameworks, this exploit maps to MITRE ATT&CK technique T1059.007: Command and Control via Web Protocols or more accurately in the context of initial access and persistence, it facilitates lateral movement and credential harvesting often associated with post-exploitation activities like T1005: Data from Local System or T1078: Valid Accounts if administrative privileges are obtained. The lack of input validation constitutes a fundamental design flaw that violates secure coding principles regarding the separation of data and code execution contexts.
Mitigation strategies must address both immediate remediation and long-term architectural improvements. The most effective solution is to upgrade the GhozyLab Image Slider Widget to version 1.1.30 or later, where developers have presumably implemented proper input sanitization and output encoding mechanisms such as HTML entity encoding for user-supplied data before rendering it in the DOM. For organizations unable to immediately update due to compatibility constraints, temporary mitigations include implementing a Web Application Firewall with rules specifically tuned to detect and block XSS payloads containing script tags or event handlers like onerror or onload. Additionally, enforcing Content Security Policy headers can restrict the execution of inline scripts and limit the domains from which resources are loaded, thereby reducing the impact even if an injection attempt succeeds. Regular security audits and code reviews focusing on input validation practices are essential to prevent similar vulnerabilities in future development cycles.