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Cross-site Scripting occurrences in Wordpress Download Manager
Multiple Authenticated (contributor+) Persistent Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in W3 Eden Download Manager plugin <= 3.2.48 at WordPress. (2022-08-23, CVE-2022-34658)
The Download Manager plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via the `file[files][]` parameter in versions up to, and including, 3.2.46 due to insufficient input sanitization and output escaping. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers with contributor level permissions and above to inject arbitrary web scripts on the file's page that will execute whenever an administrator accesses the editor area for the injected file page. (2022-07-18, CVE-2022-2101)
The Download Manager Plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to reflected Cross-Site Scripting in versions up to, and including 3.2.42. This is due to insufficient input sanitization and output escaping on the 'frameid' parameter found in the ~/src/Package/views/shortcode-iframe.php file. (2022-06-13, CVE-2022-1985)
The WordPress Download Manager WordPress plugin before 3.2.22 does not sanitise and escape Template data before outputting it in various pages (such as admin dashboard and frontend). Due to the lack of authorisation and CSRF checks in the wpdm_save_template AJAX action, any authenticated users such as subscriber is able to call it and perform Cross-Site Scripting attacks (2021-12-27, CVE-2021-24969)
The WordPress Download Manager WordPress plugin before 3.2.16 does not escape some of the Download settings when outputting them, allowing high privilege users to perform XSS attacks even when the unfiltered_html capability is disallowed (2021-11-01, CVE-2021-24773)
The download-manager plugin before 2.9.94 for WordPress has XSS via the category shortcode feature, as demonstrated by the orderby or search[publish_date] parameter. (2019-09-03, CVE-2019-15889)
Why Cross-site Scripting can be dangerous
Cross site scripting is an attack where a web page executes code that is injected by an adversary. It usually appears, when users input is presented. This attack can be used to impersonate a user, take over control of the session, or even steal API keys.
The attack can be executed e.g. when you application injects the request parameter directly into the HTML code of the page returned to the user:
https://server.com/confirmation?message=Transaction+Complete
what results in:
<span>Confirmation: Transaction Complete</span>
In that case the message can be modified to become a valid Javascript code, e.g.:
https://server.com/confirmation?message=<script>dangerous javascript code here</script>
and it will be executed locally by the user's browser with full access to the user's personal application/browser data:
<span>Confirmation: <script>dangerous javascript code here</script></span>