CVE-2022-41980: Critical Authenticated Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) Vulnerability Discovered in Mantenimiento Web Plugin <= .13 for WordPress

A recent discovery of a high-severity authenticated Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the popular WordPress plugin, Mantenimiento Web, potentially affects thousands of websites. This vulnerability, designated as CVE-2022-41980, has been discovered in all versions of the plugin up to version .13. This blog post aims to provide an in-depth look at the vulnerability, its exploitation, and the potential risks to WordPress websites.

Background

Mantenimiento Web is a widely-used WordPress plugin that enables website administrators to easily manage maintenance mode and set up custom landing pages. The plugin has been developed by [Developer Name] and has thousands of active installations on WordPress websites. The latest version of the plugin, .13, was released on [Release Date].

Vulnerability Details

The authenticated Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Mantenimiento Web plugin (<= .13) allows attackers to inject malicious code into the website, potentially allowing them to steal sensitive information, hijack user sessions, and perform other malicious actions. This vulnerability specifically affects the plugin's settings page in the WordPress administration dashboard. An attacker must have administrative or higher-level privileges to exploit this vulnerability.

Here's a simple code snippet demonstrating the exploitation of this vulnerability

http://[target-site]/wp-admin/options-general.php?page=mantenimiento/[section]&options_group=[injected_code]

In this exploit, the injected_code can be any JavaScript code that the attacker wants to execute in the context of the website, such as stealing session cookies or redirecting users to a malicious website.

For example, a potential XSS payload would look like this

<script>alert("XSS Vulnerability Found!");</script>

This payload, when injected into the vulnerable parameter, will trigger an alert on the victim's browser, indicating the vulnerability's successful exploitation.

Original References

For more information about the Mantenimiento Web plugin and the authentication Cross-Site Scripting vulnerability (CVE-2022-41980), you can refer to the following sources:

1. CVE-2022-41980 - NVD (National Vulnerability Database)
2. Official WordPress Plugin Directory - Mantenimiento Web Plugin
3. Exploit-DB Entry: CVE-2022-41980

Mitigation

The Mantenimiento Web plugin developer has thankfully released a patch in version .14 that addresses this vulnerability. All affected WordPress website administrators are highly encouraged to update the plugin to the latest version as soon as possible. If you have version .13 or earlier installed, you are potentially at risk of exploitation, and prompt action is necessary.

In addition to updating the plugin, be sure to review user accounts and privileges on your WordPress website to ensure that only trusted users have administrative or higher-level privileges. This vulnerability is only exploitable by authenticated users with elevated privileges. By taking these steps, you can significantly reduce the likelihood of your website falling victim to this vulnerability.

Conclusion

CVE-2022-41980 is a critical authenticated Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Mantenimiento Web plugin (<= .13) for WordPress. The vulnerability potentially exposes thousands of WordPress websites to various malicious actions, such as sensitive information theft and session hijacking. It is imperative for website administrators to update the plugin to the latest version (.14) and review user accounts to ensure proper security controls are in place. Staying vigilant and maintaining best security practices will greatly reduce the chances of a successful attack against your WordPress website.

Timeline

Published on: 11/08/2022 19:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 11/09/2022 13:50:00 UTC