"CVE-2024-0420: Stored Cross-Site Scripting Vulnerability in MapPress Maps for WordPress Plugin"

A security vulnerability (CVE-2024-0420) has been discovered in the MapPress Maps for WordPress plugin. This vulnerability affects versions before 2.88.15 and allows Contributors and above roles to perform Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) attacks. In this long read post, we will dive deep into the details of this vulnerability, share code snippets and links to original references, and discuss possible exploits.

The Vulnerability

As the plugin does not sanitize and escape the map title when outputting it back in the admin dashboard, attackers can exploit this vulnerability to inject malicious JavaScript code into the map title. When a site administrator interacts with the plugin's admin dashboard, this malicious code can be executed, leading to an XSS attack.

The vulnerability affects the MapPress Maps for WordPress plugin versions lower than 2.88.15. Website administrators using this plugin are advised to update to the latest version, as it includes a patch that addresses this vulnerability.

Below is an example code snippet demonstrating the vulnerability

/* Injecting malicious JavaScript code into the map title */
const maliciousScript = "<script>alert('XSS Attack!');</script>";
const mapTitle = "My Map " + maliciousScript;

/* The plugin does not sanitize and escape the map title */
document.getElementById("mapTitle").innerHTML = mapTitle;

In the code snippet above, a malicious JavaScript code is injected into the map title. Since the plugin does not sanitize and escape the map title, the malicious code will be executed when the map title is displayed in the admin dashboard.

To learn more about the reported vulnerability, you can refer to the following resources

1. WordPress Plugin Vulnerability Database - CVE-2024-0420
2. MapPress Maps Plugin - Official Changelog

Exploit Details

The vulnerability can be exploited by an attacker with the Contributor role or above, who has access to the admin dashboard. By injecting malicious JavaScript code into a map's title, the attacker can perform a variety of attacks once the code is executed. Some possible attack scenarios include stealing session cookies, redirecting victims to phishing websites, or injecting further malicious content into the website.

Mitigation

To prevent potential exploitation of this vulnerability, website administrators using the MapPress Maps for WordPress plugin are recommended to update their plugin to the latest version. Version 2.88.15 contains a patch that addresses this vulnerability by sanitizing and escaping the map title before outputting it in the admin dashboard. Ensuring that all software on the website is updated, as well as regularly monitoring for security vulnerabilities and applying patches, will help to secure the website from potential attacks.

Conclusion

In summary, we have discussed the details of the CVE-2024-0420 vulnerability in the MapPress Maps for WordPress plugin. This vulnerability allows attackers to perform stored cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks by injecting malicious JavaScript code into a map's title. To mitigate the risk of exploitation, it is important to update the plugin to the latest version and practice regular software updates and monitoring for security vulnerabilities.

Timeline

Published on: 02/12/2024 16:15:08 UTC
Last modified on: 02/12/2024 17:31:21 UTC