CVE-2023-34172 - Critical Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) Vulnerability in Miled WordPress Social Login plugin (Versions up to 3..4)

WordPress, the world's most popular content management system, is no stranger to security vulnerabilities. In the latest discovery, a critical Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability has been found in the Miled WordPress Social Login plugin (versions up to 3..4). This vulnerability, tagged with the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) identifier CVE-2023-34172, allows attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code into the plugin that can compromise the entire WordPress installation, steal sensitive data, or even gain administrative access.

This long-read post will provide an in-depth analysis of the CVE-2023-34172 vulnerability, complete with code snippets, links to original references, and exploit details, all written in simple American English for easy comprehension.

The Vulnerability - Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)

Miled WordPress Social Login is a popular plugin allowing users to log in and register on WordPress sites using their social network accounts like Google, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. The vulnerability comes from insufficient input validation and output encoding in the plugin's administration panel.

Code snippet showing the vulnerable code

// In file wp-social-login/includes/admin/wsl.providers.php

// Line 207
$provider_new_app_link = isset( $provider[ 'new_app_link' ] ) ? $provider[ 'new_app_link' ] : '#';

// Line 217
echo " < th scope=\"row\" valign=\"top\" ><label>" . $provider['label'] . "</label></th><td>" . $provider_new_app_link . "</td>";

An attacker with access to the WordPress administrative panel can inject malicious JavaScript code into the $provider_new_app_link variable that gets echoed without proper sanitization, thus causing the stored XSS vulnerability. This can lead to administrative users unknowingly executing the malicious script and consequently empowering the attacker with full access to the WordPress installation.

Exploit Details

In order to exploit the vulnerability, attackers with admin or higher privileges need to access the Miled WordPress Social Login plugin's settings page (/wp-admin/options-general.php?page=wordpress-social-login&wslp=networks). They can then insert their malicious JavaScript code in the form of an anchor tag with a JavaScript event listener (such as onclick). For example:

<a href="#" onclick="alert('XSS Vulnerability!')">New Application Link</a>

Once saved, the malicious script will be stored and, when accessed by an authorized user, trigger the JavaScript code's execution, allowing the attacker to carry out further malicious actions.

Original References

The CVE-2023-34172 exploit has been reported and documented by security researchers, and the relevant links to these resources are provided below:

1. CVE-2023-34172 - National Vulnerability Database (NVD)
2. Miled WordPress Social Login Plugin - WordPress.org Repository
3. Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) - OWASP Resource

Mitigation Steps and Recommendations

Users of the Miled WordPress Social Login plugin (versions up to 3..4) should urgently update the plugin to the latest version, which contains a fix for the vulnerability. Additionally, it is crucial always to follow best security practices, such as using strong and unique passwords for each account, keeping software up-to-date, and regularly monitoring the website for suspicious activities.

Conclusion

CVE-2023-34172 is a critical Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Miled WordPress Social Login plugin (versions <= 3..4) that can enable attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code and potentially gain administrative access. Understand this exploit, patch your affected systems, and take preventative measures to safeguard your WordPress websites from future threats.

Timeline

Published on: 08/30/2023 15:15:09 UTC
Last modified on: 09/01/2023 12:30:20 UTC