CVE-2023-7070 : What You Need to Know

This article provides an overview of CVE-2023-7070, including its description, impact, technical details, and mitigation strategies.

Understanding CVE-2023-7070

CVE-2023-7070 is a vulnerability found in the Email Encoder - Protect Email Addresses and Phone Numbers plugin for WordPress. It allows for Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) attacks due to insufficient input sanitization and output escaping on user-supplied attributes. This vulnerability affects all versions of the plugin up to and including 2.1.9.

What is CVE-2023-7070?

The Email Encoder - Protect Email Addresses and Phone Numbers plugin for WordPress is designed to obfuscate email addresses and phone numbers to protect them from email scraping bots. However, due to a lack of proper input sanitization and output escaping, authenticated attackers with contributor-level and above permissions can inject arbitrary web scripts in pages that will execute whenever a user accesses an injected page.

The Impact of CVE-2023-7070

The impact of CVE-2023-7070 is significant, as it allows attackers to execute arbitrary scripts on affected WordPress websites. This can lead to various consequences, such as unauthorized access, data theft, defacement, or even complete compromise of the targeted website. It is crucial to address this vulnerability promptly to prevent any potential harm.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-7070

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability arises from the insufficient input sanitization and output escaping on user-supplied attributes within the Email Encoder - Protect Email Addresses and Phone Numbers plugin. This allows authenticated attackers with contributor-level and above permissions to inject arbitrary web scripts into WordPress pages.

Affected Systems and Versions

The vulnerability affects all versions of the Email Encoder - Protect Email Addresses and Phone Numbers plugin for WordPress up to and including version 2.1.9. Websites that have this plugin installed and activated are potentially vulnerable.

Exploitation Mechanism

Exploiting CVE-2023-7070 requires the attacker to have authenticated access with contributor-level permissions or higher on a targeted WordPress website. By injecting malicious scripts using the plugin's eeb_mailto shortcode, the attacker can execute arbitrary code whenever a user accesses a page containing the injected code.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protecting your WordPress website from CVE-2023-7070 requires a combination of immediate steps and long-term security practices, including patching and updates.

Immediate Steps to Take

Disable or Remove Vulnerable Plugin: If you are using the Email Encoder - Protect Email Addresses and Phone Numbers plugin for WordPress, it is recommended to disable or remove it until a patched version is available.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly Update Plugins and Themes: Keeping your WordPress installation, plugins, and themes up to date reduces the risk of known vulnerabilities being exploited.

Employ Security Plugins: Install and configure security plugins, such as Wordfence or Sucuri, to provide an additional layer of protection against potential threats.

Implement Web Application Firewalls (WAF): WAFs help to filter out and block malicious traffic, reducing the chances of successful attacks on your website.

Follow Least Privilege Principle: Limit user permissions to the minimum required for their tasks. Avoid granting unnecessary administrative access to minimize the impact of potential vulnerabilities.

Patching and Updates

Developers of the Email Encoder - Protect Email Addresses and Phone Numbers plugin for WordPress should release an updated version that addresses the vulnerability. It is crucial to promptly update the plugin to the latest patched version once it becomes available. Regularly check for updates from reputable sources and apply them as soon as possible to ensure your website remains secure.

By following these best practices and promptly addressing CVE-2023-7070, website owners can significantly reduce the risk of exploitation and protect their WordPress sites from potential harm.