CVE-2022-0421 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

Five Star Restaurant Reservations plugin before version 2.4.12 in WordPress allows unauthenticated users to change payment status, leading to Cross-Site Scripting attacks against logged-in admins.

Understanding CVE-2022-0421

This CVE highlights a vulnerability in the Five Star Restaurant Reservations WordPress plugin that can be exploited by unauthenticated users.

What is CVE-2022-0421?

The CVE-2022-0421 vulnerability in the Five Star Restaurant Reservations plugin allows unauthorized users to alter payment status, potentially resulting in Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) attacks.

The Impact of CVE-2022-0421

The vulnerability enables attackers to manipulate payment statuses of bookings, posing a risk of XSS attacks against privileged admin users.

Technical Details of CVE-2022-0421

This section delves into the specifics of the vulnerability, including affected systems, exploitation mechanisms, and necessary preventive actions.

Vulnerability Description

The flaw stems from inadequate authorization in changing payment outcomes, permitting unauthenticated users to modify payment statuses and craft XSS attacks against administrators.

Affected Systems and Versions

The issue affects the Five Star Restaurant Reservations plugin versions prior to 2.4.12 in WordPress.

Exploitation Mechanism

Since the plugin lacks proper sanitization and escaping, attackers can exploit the vulnerability to inject malicious scripts targeting logged-in admins dealing with failed payments.

Mitigation and Prevention

Explore the measures to address and mitigate the CVE-2022-0421 vulnerability, safeguarding WordPress applications from potential security risks.

Immediate Steps to Take

Website owners are advised to update the Five Star Restaurant Reservations plugin to version 2.4.12 or newer to patch the vulnerability and mitigate the risk of unauthorized payment status changes and XSS attacks.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implement a robust security posture by regularly updating plugins, employing secure coding practices, and conducting security audits to prevent similar vulnerabilities.

Patching and Updates

Stay informed about plugin updates and security advisories, promptly applying patches to protect WordPress installations from known vulnerabilities.