Source: cve@mitre.org
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in the TweetScribe plugin 1.1 and earlier for WordPress allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of administrators for requests that conduct cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks via the tweetscribe_username parameter in a save action in the tweetscribe.php page to wp-admin/options-general.php.
WordPress TweetScribe plugin versions 1.1 and earlier are vulnerable to a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) attack, allowing attackers to hijack administrator sessions. This vulnerability, when combined with Cross-Site Scripting (XSS), enables remote attackers to execute arbitrary code and potentially take complete control of the affected WordPress site. Successful exploitation can lead to data breaches, website defacement, and malware distribution.
Step 1: Victim Login: An administrator logs into the vulnerable WordPress site and remains logged in.
Step 2: Attacker Crafting: The attacker crafts a malicious HTML page or email containing a hidden form or JavaScript code. This form or script targets the wp-admin/options-general.php page with a POST request.
Step 3: Payload Injection: The attacker's crafted request includes a tweetscribe_username parameter containing malicious JavaScript code (XSS payload).
Step 4: Victim Interaction: The administrator, unknowingly, either visits the attacker's crafted page or opens the malicious email. The hidden form automatically submits, or the JavaScript code executes.
Step 5: Setting Modification: The malicious request is sent to the WordPress site, and because of the lack of CSRF protection, the plugin's settings are updated with the attacker's XSS payload in the tweetscribe_username field.
Step 6: XSS Execution: When the administrator subsequently visits a page where the TweetScribe plugin displays the tweetscribe_username (e.g., the plugin's settings page or a page using the plugin), the injected JavaScript code executes within the administrator's browser.
Step 7: Account Takeover/Malicious Actions: The attacker's XSS payload can then perform various actions, such as stealing the administrator's session cookie, creating new administrator accounts, defacing the website, or redirecting users to malicious sites.
The vulnerability stems from a lack of CSRF protection in the TweetScribe plugin's tweetscribe.php file when handling the save action. Specifically, the plugin fails to validate the origin of requests, allowing an attacker to craft a malicious request that, when executed by an authenticated administrator, modifies the plugin's settings. The tweetscribe_username parameter is particularly vulnerable, as it can be manipulated to inject malicious JavaScript code. This injected code then executes within the context of the administrator's session, leading to XSS. The root cause is the absence of a nonce or other CSRF protection mechanism when updating the plugin's settings. The plugin trusts all incoming requests, regardless of their origin, allowing for unauthorized modifications.
While no specific APT groups are directly linked to this specific CVE, the ease of exploitation makes it a prime target for opportunistic attackers and botnets. This vulnerability could be used as an initial access vector for more sophisticated attacks. This vulnerability is not listed in the CISA KEV database, but it is a high-severity vulnerability that could be used as a stepping stone to a larger attack.
Monitor web server logs for suspicious POST requests to wp-admin/options-general.php with the tweetscribe_username parameter.
Analyze network traffic for unusual HTTP requests originating from the administrator's browser, especially those containing JavaScript payloads.
Implement a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with rules to detect and block CSRF attacks and XSS payloads.
Monitor WordPress plugin activity logs for unauthorized changes to the TweetScribe plugin's settings.
Use a file integrity monitoring tool to detect unexpected changes to the tweetscribe.php file.
Update the TweetScribe plugin to version 1.2 or later, which includes a fix for the CSRF vulnerability.
If updating is not possible, disable the TweetScribe plugin.
Implement CSRF protection in the plugin's code by using WordPress's built-in nonce functions (wp_create_nonce(), wp_verify_nonce()).
Sanitize and validate all user-supplied input, especially the tweetscribe_username parameter, to prevent XSS attacks.
Implement a Content Security Policy (CSP) to mitigate the impact of XSS attacks.
Regularly scan the WordPress site for vulnerabilities using a security scanner.
Ensure all plugins and the WordPress core are up-to-date.