CVE-2020-35944 : Exploit Details and Defense Strategies

An issue was discovered in the PageLayer plugin before 1.1.2 for WordPress. The pagelayer_settings_page function is vulnerable to CSRF, which can lead to XSS.

Understanding CVE-2020-35944

This CVE involves a vulnerability in the PageLayer plugin for WordPress that can result in Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) attacks.

What is CVE-2020-35944?

The vulnerability in the PageLayer plugin allows for Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) attacks, potentially leading to XSS exploitation.

The Impact of CVE-2020-35944

The impact of this CVE is rated as high, with a CVSS base score of 8.8. It can result in high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts.

Technical Details of CVE-2020-35944

This section provides more technical insights into the CVE.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability lies in the pagelayer_settings_page function of the PageLayer plugin, making it susceptible to CSRF attacks that can be leveraged for XSS.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: PageLayer plugin
Vendor: N/A
Versions affected: Before 1.1.2

Exploitation Mechanism

Attack Complexity: Low
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: Required
Scope: Unchanged
Exploitation can lead to high impacts on confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protecting systems from CVE-2020-35944 is crucial to maintaining security.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update the PageLayer plugin to version 1.1.2 or newer to mitigate the vulnerability.
Implement CSRF protection mechanisms on web applications.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly monitor and update plugins and software to address security vulnerabilities.
Educate users on safe browsing practices to prevent XSS attacks.

Patching and Updates

Stay informed about security patches and updates for WordPress plugins to address known vulnerabilities.