Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2022-40215 affects WordPress sites using the Tabs plugin at version 3.7.1 or earlier. An already-authenticated, highly privileged user could store malicious script in plugin-managed content, which may run when another user views it. The available CVSS rating is low, but affected public sites should still be inventoried.
Executive priority
Treat this as a low-priority but real hygiene item. It is unlikely to justify emergency action by itself, but externally facing WordPress sites should be checked during routine vulnerability management, especially where many privileged users can edit site content.
Technical view
The issue is multiple authenticated stored cross-site scripting vulnerabilities in the Tabs WordPress plugin by Biplob Adhikari, versions <= 3.7.1. CVSS 3.1 is 3.4 with high privileges required, user interaction required, changed scope, low integrity impact, and no confidentiality or availability impact.
Likely exposure
Exposure is limited to WordPress deployments with the Tabs plugin, also referenced as vc-tabs, at version 3.7.1 or earlier. Sites without this plugin, or running versions outside the affected range, are not identified as affected in the provided sources.
Exploitation context
The source bundle does not indicate active exploitation, and the CVE is not listed as KEV. Exploitation requires authenticated high-privilege access and a viewer interaction path, reducing broad internet-scale risk compared with unauthenticated XSS.
Researcher notes
Evidence is limited to the CVE metadata and public references in the bundle. Do not assume unauthenticated exploitation, a public exploit, or a specific fixed version from the provided data. Validation should focus on plugin presence, affected version range, and privileged content-editing paths.
Mitigation direction
- Inventory WordPress sites for the Tabs or vc-tabs plugin.
- Confirm whether installed versions are 3.7.1 or earlier.
- Check Patchstack and WordPress plugin guidance for a fixed release or vendor mitigation.
- If affected and no fix is available, consider disabling or removing the plugin.
- Restrict content-editing privileges to trusted users only.
Validation and detection
- Verify plugin name and version from WordPress administration or asset inventory.
- Confirm whether any installed version matches <= 3.7.1.
- Review privileged WordPress accounts with access to edit Tabs content.
- Inspect affected plugin content for unexpected scripts or unauthorized changes.
- Review admin logs for suspicious plugin content modifications.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-79: User-session and phishing behavior lookup
Client-side and session-facing weaknesses should be reviewed alongside initial-access and user-execution behaviors. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2022-40215 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Low
- CVSS
- 3.4 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:R/S:C/C:N/I:L/A:N
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:R/S:C/C:N/I:L/A:N1.71.4Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
3.4LowVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:R/S:C/C:N/I:L/A:N
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://patchstack.com/database/vulnerability/vc-tabs/wordpress-tabs-plugin-3-7-1-multiple-authenticated-stored-cross-site-scripting-xss-vulnerabilities/_s_id=cveCVE reference · x_refsource_CONFIRM
- https://wordpress.org/plugins/vc-tabs/CVE reference · x_refsource_CONFIRM
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.