CVE-2023-3388 : Security Advisory and Response

This CVE-2023-3388 pertains to a vulnerability in the Beautiful Cookie Consent Banner plugin for WordPress that allows for stored Cross-Site Scripting attacks. The vulnerability exists in versions up to and including 2.10.1 of the plugin and can be exploited by unauthenticated attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages, executing whenever a user accesses the compromised page. A partial patch was released in version 2.10.1, with a complete fix included in version 2.10.2.

Understanding CVE-2023-3388

This section will delve into the details of CVE-2023-3388, outlining what it is, its impact, technical aspects, and mitigation strategies.

What is CVE-2023-3388?

CVE-2023-3388 is a vulnerability found in the Beautiful Cookie Consent Banner WordPress plugin, allowing for Stored Cross-Site Scripting attacks through a specific parameter.

The Impact of CVE-2023-3388

The impact of this vulnerability is rated as HIGH, with a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.2. It enables attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages, potentially leading to unauthorized actions or data theft.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-3388

In this section, we will explore the technical aspects of CVE-2023-3388, including the vulnerability description, affected systems, and exploitation mechanism.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability in the Beautiful Cookie Consent Banner plugin arises from insufficient input sanitization and output escaping, enabling attackers to inject and execute arbitrary web scripts.

Affected Systems and Versions

The affected system is the Beautiful Cookie Consent Banner for WordPress plugin, with versions up to and including 2.10.1 being vulnerable to the Stored Cross-Site Scripting attack.

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by manipulating the 'nsc_bar_content_href' parameter to inject malicious scripts that execute when a user accesses a compromised page.

Mitigation and Prevention

To protect systems from CVE-2023-3388, immediate steps should be taken to mitigate the risk and prevent potential exploitation.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update the Beautiful Cookie Consent Banner plugin to version 2.10.2 or later to apply the complete security patch.
Consider temporarily disabling the plugin until the update can be applied to prevent exploitation.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update plugins and software to ensure vulnerabilities are patched promptly.
Implement web application firewalls and security plugins to add an extra layer of defense against malicious attacks.

Patching and Updates

Developers of the Beautiful Cookie Consent Banner plugin have released version 2.10.2, which fully addresses the Stored Cross-Site Scripting vulnerability. It is recommended to update to this version or the latest available release to protect against potential exploits.