CVE-2022-23638

SVG Support <= 2.5.8 - Stored Cross-Site Scripting via Vulnerability Dependency

2025-02-24 00:00

Strategic Overview

Status: Patched in 2.5.9
Affected Plugin: SVG Support
Affected Version: <= 2.5.8
CVSS: 5.4Medium
Weakness type: CWE-79 · Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')
CVE: CVE-2022-23638

At a glance

CVE-2022-23638 is a medium-severity Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') vulnerability in the SVG Support WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 2.5.8. It carries a CVSS score of 5.4 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity). The issue is fixed in version 2.5.9; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed February 2025.

Vulnerability Overview

The SVG Support plugin for WordPress is running a vulnerable dependency (svg-sanitize, 0.14.1) in all versions up to, and including, 2.5.8. The vulnerable dependency has a Stored Cross-Site Scripting vulnerability due to insufficient SVG sanitization. The SVG Support plugin may be exploited if the uploaded SVG image is included in line in an HTML page.

Technical Analysis

The vector marks this flaw as remotely reachable over the network, with low attack complexity — no special timing or configuration is needed.

CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')

Reaching this weakness in SVG Support <= 2.5.8 takes a caller who can reach the endpoint. Cross-site scripting happens when input from a request is written into a page without being escaped for the context it lands in, so the browser parses attacker-supplied text as markup or script.

Injected script runs with the privileges of whoever views the affected page, which is how these flaws turn into administrator session theft, silent account creation or persistent backdoors in page content. For SVG Support the fix is 2.5.9: builds <= 2.5.8 are affected, anything from 2.5.9 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 2.5.9, or a newer patched version

How does WordSec protect against this?

The attempt arrives as an ordinary request to SVG Support: WordSec's web application firewall inspects request payloads before WordPress loads them. None of that substitutes for the fix: SVG Support 2.5.9 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

Firewall
Alerts

External References

https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-23638 https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/f6a41a90-d116-4cb5-9627-08eb70f9654d https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-23638

Related records

Same weakness class

Other vulnerabilities in SVG Support

CVSS Vector

5.4

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N

Base

Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges RequiredLow
User InteractionRequired
ScopeChanged
ConfidentialityLow
IntegrityLow
AvailabilityNone

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