CVE-2023-49171
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users in the Innovs HR WordPress plugin. It affects all users of the Innovs HR – Complete Human Resource Management System from unspecified versions through 1.0.3.4. Attackers can steal session cookies, redirect users, or perform actions on their behalf.
💻 Affected Systems
- Innovs HR – Complete Human Resource Management System for Your Business
📦 What is this software?
Innovs Hr by Theinnovs
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Attackers could steal administrator credentials, take over the WordPress site, access sensitive HR data, and pivot to internal systems.
Likely Case
Attackers steal user session cookies to impersonate legitimate users, potentially accessing sensitive HR information or performing unauthorized actions.
If Mitigated
With proper input validation and output encoding, the attack would fail to execute malicious scripts, limiting impact to failed exploitation attempts.
🎯 Exploit Status
Reflected XSS vulnerabilities are commonly exploited with simple payloads requiring minimal technical skill.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 1.0.3.5 or later
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Log into WordPress admin panel. 2. Navigate to Plugins → Installed Plugins. 3. Find 'Innovs HR' plugin. 4. Click 'Update Now' if update available. 5. Alternatively, download latest version from WordPress repository and replace plugin files.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Web Application Firewall (WAF)
allDeploy a WAF with XSS protection rules to block malicious payloads before reaching the application.
Input Validation Filter
allImplement server-side input validation to sanitize user inputs before processing.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Disable the Innovs HR plugin immediately and use alternative HR management solutions.
- Implement strict Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to mitigate script execution from untrusted sources.
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check WordPress admin panel → Plugins → Installed Plugins for Innovs HR version. If version is 1.0.3.4 or earlier, system is vulnerable.Check Version:
wp plugin list --name=innovs-hr-manager --field=versionVerify Fix Applied:
After updating, verify plugin version shows 1.0.3.5 or later in WordPress admin panel.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual GET/POST requests containing script tags or JavaScript code in query parameters
- Multiple failed login attempts following suspicious URL visits
Network Indicators:
- HTTP requests with suspicious parameters containing <script>, javascript:, or encoded payloads
- Unexpected redirects to external domains
SIEM Query:
source="web_server_logs" AND (uri="*<script>*" OR uri="*javascript:*" OR uri="*%3Cscript%3E*")🔗 References
- https://patchstack.com/database/vulnerability/innovs-hr-manager/wordpress-innovs-hr-plugin-1-0-3-4-reflected-cross-site-scripting-xss-vulnerability?_s_id=cve
- https://patchstack.com/database/vulnerability/innovs-hr-manager/wordpress-innovs-hr-plugin-1-0-3-4-reflected-cross-site-scripting-xss-vulnerability?_s_id=cve
