CVE-2023-4840: MapPress Maps for WordPress Plugin Vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting in Versions up to 2.88.4

Summary: The MapPress Maps for WordPress plugin (versions up to 2.88.4) has been found to be vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) attacks due to insufficient input sanitization and output escaping on user-supplied attributes. This vulnerability allows authenticated attackers with contributor-level access and above to inject arbitrary web scripts on pages, which will then execute when other users access the injected page.

Details

The MapPress Maps for WordPress plugin (hereafter referred to as "MapPress") allows users to create and manage maps on their WordPress websites easily. Unfortunately, a vulnerability (CVE-2023-4840) has been discovered in versions up to and including 2.88.4, which makes websites using the MapPress plugin susceptible to Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) attacks.

The vulnerability stems from insufficient input sanitization and output escaping on user-supplied data in the mappress shortcode. Due to this security oversight, authenticated attackers with contributor-level access and above can inject arbitrary web scripts on pages that will then execute when other users access the injected page.

Code Snippet Highlighting the Vulnerability

In the MapPress code, the mappress shortcode function does not properly sanitize and escape the user-supplied attributes, allowing for the potential injection of malicious scripts. An example of this vulnerability can be demonstrated by an attacker injecting the following malicious script:

[mappress map_width="<script>alert('XSS');</script>"]

When the injected script is executed, it will display an alert box with the message "XSS," making it apparent that a Stored XSS attack was successful.

Exploit Details

In order to exploit this vulnerability, an attacker needs to have contributor-level access or higher on the target WordPress website. The attacker can then inject arbitrary web scripts in pages using the mappress shortcode, thereby potentially compromising the website's security and the data of its users.

Mitigation

The MapPress Maps for WordPress plugin's developers have been notified about this vulnerability, and it is recommended to keep an eye out for updates that address this issue. In the meantime, users should ensure that only trusted individuals are granted contributor-level access or higher on their WordPress website to mitigate the risk of exploitation.

Original References

1. CVE-2023-4840 Entry on the MITRE CVE List

2. MapPress Maps for WordPress Plugin Homepage


This post highlights the CVE-2023-4840 vulnerability found in the MapPress Maps for WordPress plugin, which has the potential to expose websites to Stored Cross-Site Scripting attacks. By understanding the details of this vulnerability, taking steps to mitigate risk, and keeping an eye out for updates from the plugin's developers, website owners can help protect their websites and users from potential exploitation.

Timeline

Published on: 09/12/2023 02:15:13 UTC
Last modified on: 11/07/2023 04:23:01 UTC