CVE-2022-4260 : What You Need to Know

WP-Ban < 1.69.1 - Admin+ Stored XSS Vulnerability

Understanding CVE-2022-4260

This CVE refers to a Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the WP-Ban WordPress plugin before version 1.69.1. This vulnerability could allow high privilege users, such as admins, to execute malicious scripts.

What is CVE-2022-4260?

The WP-Ban WordPress plugin version prior to 1.69.1 fails to properly sanitize and escape certain settings, enabling admin users to conduct Stored XSS attacks, even in cases where the unfiltered_html capability is disabled.

The Impact of CVE-2022-4260

The vulnerability poses a significant risk, as it allows malicious actors with admin privileges to inject and execute harmful scripts on the website, compromising data integrity and potentially impacting visitors.

Technical Details of CVE-2022-4260

This section provides detailed technical insights into the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The issue arises due to insufficient sanitization of user inputs within the WP-Ban plugin before version 1.69.1, facilitating the execution of stored XSS attacks by privileged users.

Affected Systems and Versions

The vulnerability affects WP-Ban plugin versions prior to 1.69.1, exposing websites that utilize this specific plugin to the risk of stored XSS exploitation.

Exploitation Mechanism

Malicious users can exploit this vulnerability by leveraging the lack of input sanitization in certain plugin settings to inject and execute malicious scripts, compromising website security.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protecting your system from CVE-2022-4260 is crucial to safeguard your website and users.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update the WP-Ban plugin to version 1.69.1 or later to mitigate the vulnerability.
Regularly monitor and restrict access to privileged user roles to prevent unauthorized script execution.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implement strict input validation and output encoding practices to prevent XSS attacks.
Educate administrators on safe plugin usage and configuration to mitigate future vulnerabilities.

Patching and Updates

Stay informed about security patches and updates for all installed plugins, ensuring timely installation to address known vulnerabilities.