CVE-2023-49766
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages generated by the Ultimate Addons for Contact Form 7 WordPress plugin. When users view affected pages, the scripts execute in their browsers, potentially stealing credentials or performing unauthorized actions. All WordPress sites using vulnerable versions of this plugin are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- Ultimate Addons for Contact Form 7 WordPress Plugin
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Attackers could steal administrator credentials, take over WordPress sites, deface websites, or redirect visitors to malicious sites, potentially leading to complete site compromise and data theft.
Likely Case
Attackers inject malicious JavaScript to steal user session cookies, perform actions as authenticated users, or redirect visitors to phishing pages.
If Mitigated
With proper input validation and output encoding, malicious scripts would be neutralized before reaching users' browsers, preventing exploitation.
🎯 Exploit Status
The vulnerability is unauthenticated and relatively easy to exploit. Public proof-of-concept details are available.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 3.2.1 or later
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Log into WordPress admin panel. 2. Navigate to Plugins → Installed Plugins. 3. Find 'Ultimate Addons for Contact Form 7'. 4. Click 'Update Now' if available, or manually update to version 3.2.1+. 5. Verify the plugin version after update.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable the vulnerable plugin
allTemporarily disable the Ultimate Addons for Contact Form 7 plugin until patched
wp plugin deactivate ultimate-addons-for-contact-form-7
Implement Content Security Policy (CSP)
allAdd CSP headers to restrict script execution sources
Add to .htaccess: Header set Content-Security-Policy "default-src 'self'; script-src 'self'"
Or configure in web server settings
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Disable the Ultimate Addons for Contact Form 7 plugin immediately
- Implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to block XSS payloads
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check WordPress admin → Plugins → Installed Plugins → Ultimate Addons for Contact Form 7 version. If version is 3.2.0 or earlier, you are vulnerable.Check Version:
wp plugin get ultimate-addons-for-contact-form-7 --field=versionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify the plugin version is 3.2.1 or later in WordPress admin panel. Test contact forms for any unexpected script execution.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual POST requests to contact form endpoints with script tags or JavaScript in parameters
- Multiple failed attempts to submit forms with encoded payloads
Network Indicators:
- HTTP requests containing <script> tags or JavaScript in form submission parameters
- Unusual outbound connections from user browsers after visiting contact forms
SIEM Query:
source="wordpress.log" AND ("<script" OR "javascript:" OR "onerror=" OR "onload=") AND "contact-form-7"🔗 References
- https://patchstack.com/database/vulnerability/ultimate-addons-for-contact-form-7/wordpress-ultimate-addons-for-contact-form-7-plugin-3-2-0-unauthenticated-cross-site-scripting-xss-vulnerability?_s_id=cve
- https://patchstack.com/database/vulnerability/ultimate-addons-for-contact-form-7/wordpress-ultimate-addons-for-contact-form-7-plugin-3-2-0-unauthenticated-cross-site-scripting-xss-vulnerability?_s_id=cve
