CVE-2023-4636: WordPress File Sharing Plugin Vulnerability - Stored Cross-Site Scripting in Admin Settings

A critical vulnerability was identified in the popular WordPress File Sharing Plugin, affecting versions up to and including 2..3. This vulnerability, designated as CVE-2023-4636, exists due to insufficient input sanitization and output escaping, which leads to a Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) issue. This allows authenticated attackers with administrator-level privileges to inject arbitrary web scripts into pages, which will be executed when a user accesses the injected page. It is important to note that this vulnerability only impacts multi-site installations and installations where unfiltered_html has been disabled.

Exploit Details

Upon investigation, the Stored XSS vulnerability exists in the admin settings of the WordPress File Sharing Plugin. An attacker with administrator access can inject malicious code into these settings, leading to the execution of arbitrary web scripts in the context of other users when they access the affected pages.

The following code snippet demonstrates a simple exploitation of the vulnerability

<script>alert('XSS')</script>

Once an attacker injects this code into the admin settings of the plugin, any user who accesses the affected pages will trigger an alert with the message "XSS." A real-world attack could, however, involve more complex and damaging scripts.

Mitigation

To mitigate this vulnerability, it is strongly recommended to update the WordPress File Sharing Plugin to version 2..4 or later. This update addresses the insufficient input sanitization and output escaping, effectively eliminating the XSS vulnerability.

For more information and details on this vulnerability, please refer to the following resources

1. CVE-2023-4636 - Original vulnerability report in the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) database.
2. WordPress File Sharing Plugin Repository - Official repository for the plugin, where updates can be downloaded and installed.
3. Stored XSS in Admin Settings - Comprehensive explanation of Stored XSS vulnerabilities and related attack vectors, provided by OWASP.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is critical for users of the WordPress File Sharing Plugin to be aware of the CVE-2023-4636 vulnerability and ensure that their plugin is up-to-date. By taking appropriate steps to mitigate the vulnerability, WordPress administrators can prevent potential attacks that could lead to the unauthorized execution of malicious code and the compromise of user data.

Timeline

Published on: 09/05/2023 03:15:12 UTC
Last modified on: 11/07/2023 04:22:48 UTC