The popular WordPress Social Login plugin, which allows your website's users to login with their social media accounts, has been found to have a security vulnerability. This vulnerability can potentially lead to malicious code being executed on a user's browser when they access your WordPress site. This vulnerability affects versions up to and including 3..4 of the plugin, and any WordPress site running an affected version should look to remedy this issue as soon as possible.
Exploit Details
The vulnerability is a Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) issue. It stems from a lack of proper input sanitization and output escaping in the 'wordpress_social_login_meta' shortcode. This allows attackers with contributor-level access or above to inject malicious scripts that will execute when a user visits a page containing the injected payload.
To illustrate the vulnerability, let's imagine a scenario in which an authenticated attacker with contributor-level permissions wants to inject a malicious script to steal a user's cookies:
<!-- The attacker injects the following payload via the 'wordpress_social_login_meta' shortcode: -->
[wordpress_social_login_meta onlogin="alert(document.cookie)"]
Upon a user visiting a page containing this injected shortcode, their browser will execute the JavaScript payload, revealing their cookies through a pop-up alert.
Original References
This vulnerability was assigned CVE-2023-4773 and was disclosed by a security researcher. Detailed information about this vulnerability can be found at the following reference links:
To fix this vulnerability, follow these mitigation steps
1. Update the WordPress Social Login plugin to the latest version, as the developers have released a patch to address this vulnerability.
2. As an additional security measure, you should regularly review and keep all your WordPress plugins up-to-date, as well as your WordPress core installation.
Conclusion
The CVE-2023-4773 vulnerability in the WordPress Social Login plugin highlights the importance of continuous security assessments and vigilance for WordPress administrators. By keeping your plugins and core installation updated, you can significantly reduce the likelihood of falling victim to such attacks and ensure the security of your website's users.
Stay informed about the latest security developments by following reliable security sources and subscribing to trusted security newsletters. Prevention is always better than cure when it comes to protecting your WordPress site.
Timeline
Published on: 09/06/2023 04:15:17 UTC
Last modified on: 11/07/2023 04:22:57 UTC