CVE-2023-2402 : Vulnerability Insights and Analysis

This is a CVE article providing detailed information on CVE-2023-2402, which was published on June 9, 2023, by Wordfence. The vulnerability affects the Photo Gallery Slideshow & Masonry Tiled Gallery plugin for WordPress.

Understanding CVE-2023-2402

This section will cover a description of the CVE-2023-2402 vulnerability, its impact, technical details, and mitigation strategies.

What is CVE-2023-2402?

CVE-2023-2402 is a vulnerability in the Photo Gallery Slideshow & Masonry Tiled Gallery plugin for WordPress. It is classified as a Reflected Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability that exists in versions up to and including 1.0.13 of the plugin. The issue arises from insufficient input sanitization and output escaping, allowing unauthenticated attackers to inject arbitrary web scripts via the search_term parameter.

The Impact of CVE-2023-2402

The impact of this vulnerability is that unauthenticated attackers can inject arbitrary web scripts into pages that execute if they can deceive a user into taking action, such as clicking on a link. This can lead to unauthorized access, data theft, and potential compromise of the affected WordPress sites.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-2402

In this section, we will delve into the vulnerability description, affected systems, versions, and the exploitation mechanism.

Vulnerability Description

The Photo Gallery Slideshow & Masonry Tiled Gallery plugin is vulnerable to Reflected Cross-Site Scripting via the search_term parameter due to inadequate input sanitization and output escaping in versions up to 1.0.13.

Affected Systems and Versions

The vulnerability impacts Photo Gallery Slideshow & Masonry Tiled Gallery plugin versions up to and including 1.0.13. Systems using these versions are at risk of exploitation by attackers.

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by manipulating the search_term parameter to inject malicious scripts, which, when executed, can perform unauthorized actions on the affected WordPress site.

Mitigation and Prevention

This section focuses on the steps that can be taken to mitigate the risks posed by CVE-2023-2402.

Immediate Steps to Take

Website administrators should update the Photo Gallery Slideshow & Masonry Tiled Gallery plugin to a secure version beyond 1.0.13. Additionally, implementing security best practices such as input validation and output encoding can help prevent XSS attacks.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly monitoring for plugin updates, employing web application firewalls, and conducting security audits can enhance the overall security posture of WordPress websites.

Patching and Updates

It is crucial to stay informed about security advisories related to WordPress plugins and promptly apply patches released by plugin developers to address known vulnerabilities like CVE-2023-2402.