CVE-2022-50960 Overview
CVE-2022-50960 is a reflected cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the WordPress plugin International Sms For Contact Form 7 Integration version 1.2. The flaw resides in the class-sms-log-display.php file, where the page parameter of the admin settings interface is rendered without proper output encoding. An attacker can craft a malicious URL containing JavaScript in the page parameter and execute arbitrary script in the context of an authenticated WordPress administrator. The issue is tracked under CWE-79 and requires user interaction, typically delivered through phishing or a malicious link.
Critical Impact
Successful exploitation lets an attacker execute arbitrary JavaScript in an administrator's browser session, enabling session theft, configuration tampering, or pivoting to further site compromise.
Affected Products
- WordPress plugin: International Sms For Contact Form 7 Integration version 1.2
- Affected file: class-sms-log-display.php
- Affected parameter: page (admin settings interface)
Discovery Timeline
- 2026-05-10 - CVE-2022-50960 published to NVD
- 2026-05-12 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2022-50960
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability is a reflected XSS flaw within the plugin's administrative log display interface. The page query parameter is read from the HTTP request and echoed back into the rendered HTML page generated by class-sms-log-display.php without sanitization or contextual output encoding. An attacker who tricks an authenticated WordPress administrator into clicking a crafted link can inject arbitrary HTML and JavaScript into the admin page response. The injected script executes with the administrator's privileges in the browser, exposing the WordPress dashboard, nonces, and session data. The attack vector is network-based and requires user interaction, which limits automated mass exploitation but suits targeted phishing campaigns against site operators.
Root Cause
The root cause is improper neutralization of input during web page generation [CWE-79]. The plugin trusts the page request parameter and concatenates it into HTML output instead of using WordPress sanitization helpers such as esc_attr() or esc_html(). This violates the standard WordPress secure coding guidance for handling admin screen parameters.
Attack Vector
Exploitation requires an attacker to deliver a crafted URL targeting the vulnerable admin page, with a JavaScript payload embedded in the page parameter. When an authenticated administrator visits the link, the payload is reflected into the rendered page and executed by the browser. No prior authentication is required of the attacker, but the victim must be logged in for the impact to be meaningful. Refer to the Exploit-DB #50719 entry and the VulnCheck Advisory for technical proof-of-concept details.
Detection Methods for CVE-2022-50960
Indicators of Compromise
- Web server access logs showing requests to WordPress admin endpoints with page parameter values containing <script>, javascript:, onerror=, or URL-encoded equivalents such as %3Cscript%3E.
- Referrer headers from external domains pointing administrators to plugin admin URLs of cf7-international-sms-integration.
- Unexpected changes to WordPress administrator accounts, plugin settings, or new admin users created shortly after suspicious admin page visits.
Detection Strategies
- Inspect HTTP request logs for the cf7-international-sms-integration plugin paths and flag any page parameter containing HTML or script syntax.
- Deploy a web application firewall (WAF) rule that matches reflected XSS patterns in query strings against WordPress wp-admin endpoints.
- Correlate administrator browser telemetry with anomalous outbound requests originating from the WordPress admin interface.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable verbose WordPress audit logging for administrator sessions and plugin configuration changes.
- Monitor for new or modified admin users, API tokens, and scheduled tasks (wp-cron) immediately after admin logins.
- Alert on outbound HTTP requests from admin browsers to unknown domains that could indicate cookie or token exfiltration.
How to Mitigate CVE-2022-50960
Immediate Actions Required
- Disable or remove the International Sms For Contact Form 7 Integration plugin version 1.2 until a patched release is confirmed by the vendor.
- Audit WordPress administrator accounts and rotate session cookies, application passwords, and API keys.
- Restrict access to /wp-admin/ by IP allowlist or VPN to reduce exposure to phishing-delivered reflected XSS links.
Patch Information
No vendor patch is referenced in the available advisory data. Review the plugin page on WordPress.org for current release status and apply any update that supersedes version 1.2. If no fixed version is available, treat the plugin as unmaintained and replace it with an alternative.
Workarounds
- Uninstall the affected plugin and migrate Contact Form 7 SMS functionality to a maintained alternative.
- Deploy a WAF rule blocking page parameter values that contain <, >, or script tokens on WordPress admin URLs.
- Train administrators to avoid clicking links to /wp-admin/ pages from untrusted sources and to use isolated browser profiles for site administration.
# Example ModSecurity rule fragment to block reflected XSS in the page parameter
SecRule ARGS:page "@rx (?i)(<script|javascript:|onerror=|%3Cscript)" \
"id:1009220,phase:2,deny,status:403,msg:'CVE-2022-50960 reflected XSS attempt'"
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
