Published: June 2022  <br>Affected Plugin: Simple:Press (up to version 6.8)  <br>Vulnerability Type: Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)

Overview

The Simple:Press plugin, a popular forum solution for WordPress, is used by thousands of site administrators to add discussion features to their websites. Versions up to and including 6.8 of this plugin are vulnerable to a particular type of security issue known as Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS). Let’s break down what this actually means, how it happens, and what you can do to protect your WordPress site.

What is CVE-2022-4028?

CVE-2022-4028 refers to a security bug found in Simple:Press, where attackers with *minimal privileges* (for example, a standard WordPress subscriber) can inject malicious scripts into the profile signature. This is done by abusing the postitem parameter during the profile-save action.

Why is this dangerous?  
Any web script an attacker injects can run in the browser of anyone who views the affected page. This can lead to session hijacking, phishing, data theft, or redirection to malicious sites.

The Vulnerable Spot

Simple:Press users can have a custom *signature* appear under their forum posts. When saving a new signature (via the profile-save action), the plugin doesn’t properly clean up what users submit. Instead, it allows HTML tags (including <object> and <embed>), making it easy for a harmful script to slip through.

Sample Exploit Code

Here’s an example of malicious input an attacker might inject into their *profile signature* under the postitem parameter:

<object data="javascript:alert('Hacked by CVE-2022-4028')" width="" height=""></object>

Or using a classic <script> tag (if not filtered)

<script>alert('Your site is vulnerable to CVE-2022-4028!');</script>

Stored XSS: Script remains in the database and is served to every visitor who sees it.

- Possible consequences: Account takeover (using stolen cookies), phishing attacks, malware distribution, or simply visual defacement.

`

Save, and check a forum post where your signature appears.

5. Every visitor sees a browser alert. Substitute alert() with more dangerous JavaScript for a real attack.

Official References

- WPScan Advisory
- NIST NVD CVE-2022-4028
- Simple:Press Plugin on WordPress.org

Conclusion

CVE-2022-4028 is a classic example of how letting users input HTML, without cleanup, leads to major security risk. If your WordPress site uses Simple:Press, update immediately. Always sanitize user input, and escape output—especially in user-modifiable settings like signatures and profiles.

If you want to know more, check the links above for detailed advisories. Protect your WordPress community today!


*This article is exclusive content for educational purposes, describing the vulnerability in simple terms with practical examples. Please do not attempt this on any site you do not own or have explicit permission to test.*

Timeline

Published on: 11/29/2022 21:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 12/01/2022 18:03:00 UTC