CVE-2022-1643 : Security Advisory and Response

The Birthdays Widget WordPress plugin version 1.7.18 and below is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) attacks, allowing high privilege users like admins to execute malicious scripts.

Understanding CVE-2022-1643

This CVE identifies a security issue in the Birthdays Widget WordPress plugin that enables stored XSS attacks by exploiting unfiltered_html capability.

What is CVE-2022-1643?

The Birthdays Widget WordPress plugin version 1.7.18 and earlier fail to properly sanitize certain fields, which lets admin users conduct Stored Cross-Site Scripting attacks.

The Impact of CVE-2022-1643

This vulnerability could be exploited by malicious actors to inject and execute arbitrary scripts in the context of an admin user, potentially leading to sensitive data exposure or site defacement.

Technical Details of CVE-2022-1643

This section delves into the specifics of the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The Birthdays Widget plugin does not adequately sanitize input fields, granting admin users the ability to execute XSS attacks when unfiltered_html capability is restricted.

Affected Systems and Versions

The issue affects Birthdays Widget plugin versions up to and including 1.7.18.

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to insert malicious scripts, posing a risk of unauthorized data access or website manipulation.

Mitigation and Prevention

To safeguard your WordPress site from CVE-2022-1643, follow these security measures.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update the Birthdays Widget plugin to the latest version to patch the vulnerability.
Restrict unfiltered_html capability for admin users to mitigate the risk of XSS attacks.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly monitor for plugin updates and security advisories to stay informed about potential vulnerabilities.
Implement web application firewalls (WAFs) to filter and block malicious traffic.

Patching and Updates

Developers should release timely patches for identified vulnerabilities to ensure users can promptly secure their systems.