CVE-2022-45078

User Blocker <= 1.5.5 - Authenticated (Admin+) CSV Injection

2022-11-09 00:00

Strategic Overview

Status: Patched in 1.5.6
Affected Plugin: User Blocker
Affected Version: <= 1.5.5
CVSS: 5.9Medium
Weakness type: CWE-74 · Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component ('Injection')
CVE: CVE-2022-45078

At a glance

CVE-2022-45078 is a medium-severity Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component ('Injection') vulnerability in the User Blocker WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 1.5.5. It carries a CVSS score of 5.9 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity). Exploitation requires an authenticated account at Admin level or above. The issue is fixed in version 1.5.6; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed November 2022, reported by Kévin Mosbahi (Mika).

Vulnerability Overview

The User Blocker plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to CSV Injection in versions up to, and including, 1.5.5. This allows administrator-level attackers to embed untrusted input into exported CSV files, which can result in code execution when these files are downloaded and opened on a local system with a vulnerable configuration.

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-74: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component ('Injection')

The product constructs all or part of a command, data structure, or record using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify how it is parsed or interpreted when it is sent to a downstream component.

Remediation

Update to version 1.5.6, or a newer patched version

How does WordSec protect against this?

An attacker needs Admin access first, so the firewall sees the attempt as traffic from a logged-in account: WordSec's web application firewall inspects request payloads before WordPress loads them. None of that substitutes for the fix: User Blocker 1.5.6 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

Firewall
Alerts

External References

https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-45078 https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/6ee6dedb-72bc-43b0-a7cb-9069533df705 https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-45078

CVSS Vector

5.9

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

Base

Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges RequiredHigh
User InteractionRequired
ScopeChanged
ConfidentialityLow
IntegrityLow
AvailabilityLow

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