CVE-2022-3025 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting the Bitcoin / Altcoin Faucet WordPress plugin version 1.6.0 and earlier. The vulnerability arises from two main issues: the absence of Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) protection when saving plugin settings, and insufficient input sanitization and escaping leading to Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS). Specifically, the plugin does not implement any CSRF tokens or checks, allowing an attacker to craft malicious requests that, when executed by an authenticated administrator, can alter plugin settings without their consent. Additionally, because user-supplied inputs are not properly sanitized or escaped before being stored and rendered, an attacker can inject persistent malicious scripts into the plugin’s settings. These scripts execute in the context of the administrator’s browser when they view the affected pages, potentially enabling session hijacking, privilege escalation, or further compromise of the WordPress site. The vulnerability requires the attacker to lure an authenticated admin to a malicious page or link (user interaction), and the attacker must have network access to send crafted requests (remote network vector). The CVSS 3.1 base score is 5.4, reflecting a medium severity with low attack complexity but requiring privileges and user interaction. No known public exploits have been reported, and no official patches are linked, indicating that mitigation relies on cautious administration and plugin updates if available. This vulnerability is particularly relevant for websites running the affected plugin, which is used to distribute cryptocurrency faucets, potentially attracting financially motivated attackers seeking to compromise sites for cryptojacking or phishing campaigns.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability can be significant if they operate WordPress sites using the Bitcoin / Altcoin Faucet plugin. Successful exploitation can lead to unauthorized changes in plugin settings, potentially redirecting cryptocurrency faucets to attacker-controlled wallets or injecting malicious scripts that compromise administrator accounts. This can result in loss of trust, reputational damage, and potential financial losses, especially for organizations involved in cryptocurrency-related services or communities. Additionally, compromised admin sessions can lead to broader site compromise, including data breaches or defacement. Given the medium severity and requirement for admin privileges, the threat is more acute for organizations with multiple administrators or less stringent internal security controls. The vulnerability also poses a risk of lateral movement within the organization’s web infrastructure if exploited. European organizations must consider the regulatory implications under GDPR if personal data is exposed or manipulated through such attacks.

To mitigate this vulnerability, European organizations should: 1) Immediately verify if their WordPress installations use the Bitcoin / Altcoin Faucet plugin version 1.6.0 or earlier and disable or remove the plugin if not essential. 2) Monitor for plugin updates or security patches from the vendor or community and apply them promptly once available. 3) Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block CSRF attack patterns and suspicious POST requests targeting the plugin’s settings endpoints. 4) Enforce strict administrative access controls, including multi-factor authentication (MFA) for WordPress admin accounts to reduce the risk of session hijacking. 5) Educate administrators to avoid clicking on untrusted links or visiting suspicious websites while logged into admin accounts to prevent CSRF exploitation. 6) Conduct regular security audits and vulnerability scans focusing on WordPress plugins and configurations. 7) Consider isolating cryptocurrency-related plugins or sites in segmented environments to limit potential lateral movement. 8) Review and harden WordPress security settings, including disabling unnecessary plugins and limiting admin privileges to only essential personnel.