CVE-2022-4661 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

A Stored Cross-Site Scripting vulnerability has been discovered in the Widgets for WooCommerce Products on Elementor WordPress plugin before version 1.0.8, which could be exploited by users with the contributor role and above. This CVE was assigned by WPScan and was published on March 13, 2023.

Understanding CVE-2022-4661

This section provides an overview of the CVE-2022-4661 vulnerability.

What is CVE-2022-4661?

The Widgets for WooCommerce Products on Elementor plugin, prior to version 1.0.8, fails to validate and escape some of its shortcode attributes before displaying them on a page/post, enabling Stored Cross-Site Scripting attacks by contributors and higher.

The Impact of CVE-2022-4661

With this vulnerability, unauthorized users can inject malicious scripts through shortcode attributes, potentially leading to Cross-Site Scripting attacks on the affected WordPress sites.

Technical Details of CVE-2022-4661

In this section, we delve into the technical aspects of CVE-2022-4661.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability arises from the lack of proper validation and escaping of shortcode attributes in the Widgets for WooCommerce Products on Elementor plugin, allowing contributors and higher roles to execute arbitrary scripts.

Affected Systems and Versions

The impacted system includes the Widgets for WooCommerce Products on Elementor plugin, versions prior to 1.0.8.

Exploitation Mechanism

By leveraging this vulnerability, users with contributor access or higher can embed malicious scripts via shortcode attributes, leading to Stored Cross-Site Scripting attacks.

Mitigation and Prevention

Learn about the measures to mitigate and prevent exploitation of CVE-2022-4661.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update the Widgets for WooCommerce Products on Elementor plugin to version 1.0.8 or newer to patch the vulnerability.
Restrict user roles and permissions to reduce the impact of potential exploitation.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implement a robust security policy that includes regular plugin updates, security scanning, and user role management to prevent similar vulnerabilities.

Patching and Updates

Stay informed about security updates and patches released by the plugin developer to address vulnerabilities promptly.