CVE-2022-4474 : Exploit Details and Defense Strategies

A Stored Cross-Site Scripting vulnerability has been identified in the Easy Social Feed WordPress plugin, affecting versions prior to 6.4.0. This vulnerability could be exploited by users with low-level roles to execute malicious scripts, potentially impacting high privilege users.

Understanding CVE-2022-4474

This section delves deeper into the impact and technical details of the CVE-2022-4474 vulnerability.

What is CVE-2022-4474?

The Easy Social Feed plugin version 6.4.0 and below fails to properly validate and escape certain shortcode attributes, making it susceptible to Stored Cross-Site Scripting attacks. Attackers with contributor-level access can leverage this vulnerability to execute malicious scripts on the website.

The Impact of CVE-2022-4474

The Stored XSS vulnerability in Easy Social Feed plugin poses a significant risk as it allows low-privileged users to compromise the security of the website, potentially leading to unauthorized actions and data breaches.

Technical Details of CVE-2022-4474

In this section, we will discuss the vulnerability description, affected systems, and exploitation mechanism.

Vulnerability Description

The Easy Social Feed WordPress plugin before version 6.4.0 fails to validate and escape certain shortcode attributes, enabling contributors to conduct Stored Cross-Site Scripting attacks, posing a risk to high privilege users such as admins.

Affected Systems and Versions

The vulnerability affects Easy Social Feed plugin versions prior to 6.4.0. Users with these versions are at risk of exploitation unless they update to a secure version promptly.

Exploitation Mechanism

By exploiting the lack of validation in the plugin's shortcode attributes, attackers with contributor access can inject and execute malicious scripts on the website, potentially gaining unauthorized privileges.

Mitigation and Prevention

This section outlines immediate steps to mitigate the risk, long-term security practices, and the importance of applying patches and updates.

Immediate Steps to Take

Users are advised to update their Easy Social Feed plugin to version 6.4.0 or later to address the vulnerability and prevent potential exploitation. Additionally, restricting contributor-level access can help reduce the risk of unauthorized script execution.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implementing strict input validation, regular security audits, and user role management can enhance the overall security posture of WordPress websites and prevent similar vulnerabilities in the future.

Patching and Updates

Developers should prioritize regular updates and security patches for plugins such as Easy Social Feed to address known vulnerabilities and ensure the security of their websites.