Instagram Feed Cross-Site Scripting Scanner

The Instagram Feed plugin for WordPress is widely used by individuals and businesses to display Instagram photos on their websites. It allows users to connect their Instagram accounts and automatically display their feed. The software is typically used by website administrators and content managers to integrate social media content into their websites easily. Its primary purpose is to enhance website engagement by showing dynamic social media content. However, outdated versions of the plugin can be susceptible to security vulnerabilities such as XSS. Regular updates and proper configuration are critical to ensuring safe integration with websites.

The detected vulnerability is a Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) flaw found in the Instagram Feed plugin for WordPress. XSS vulnerabilities occur when user inputs are improperly sanitized or escaped before being included in web content, allowing attackers to inject malicious scripts. This specific vulnerability allows attackers with admin privileges to execute harmful JavaScript code in a website's context. As a result, it can lead to session hijacking, cookie theft, or unauthorized actions in the context of the affected website. Such vulnerabilities highlight the need for proper input validation and server-side security controls.

The vulnerability details reveal a specific endpoint in the Instagram Feed plugin where improper sanitization allows XSS through user-supplied input. The flaw exists in the "/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php" endpoint with the "action=sbi_auto_save_tokens" parameter. An attacker can exploit this by embedding JavaScript code within the access token parameter, which the server mishandles, allowing the script tags to be executed in a client's browser. Through crafted POST requests, the vulnerability is triggered, emphasizing inadequate checks on user-generated inputs and highlighting potential security misconfigurations.

Exploitation of this vulnerability can have severe consequences. If exploited, attackers could perform actions like cookie stealing and session hijacking. This could enable attackers to impersonate legitimate users, access sensitive information, or carry out malicious tasks on behalf of authenticated users. For businesses utilizing the plugin, this could mean data breaches, unauthorized transactions, or reputational damage. Such effects underline the importance of regular updates and security audits of plugins used in production environments.

REFERENCES

• https://dumpco.re/blog/xss-instagram-feed
• https://wordpress.org/plugins/instagram-feed