Raw vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:LSummary
CVE-2022-0218 is a high-severity Cross-site Scripting (CWE-79) vulnerability in Codemiq Wordpress Email Template Designer. Its CVSS base score is 8.3 (High).
Operationally, ranked in the top 0.7% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog; a public proof-of-concept is referenced.
The strongest mitigations our analysis identified map to AC-3 (Access Enforcement) and AC-6 (Least Privilege) — see the control section below for these in your framework.
Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary
Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.
The WP HTML Mail WordPress plugin, in versions up to and including 3.0.9, contains a missing capability check on the /themesettings REST-API endpoint implemented in the includes/class-template-designer.php file. This flaw permits unauthenticated callers to retrieve and alter theme settings, corresponding to CWE-862 and enabling subsequent injection that maps to CWE-79. The issue carries a CVSS 3.1 score of 8.3 with network attack vector, no required privileges or user interaction, and changed scope.
An unauthenticated attacker can invoke the unprotected endpoint to modify template settings and thereby insert arbitrary JavaScript that executes in the context of site visitors or administrators, achieving stored cross-site scripting without any prior authentication.
Public advisories and the referenced plugin changeset 2656984 document the addition of the required permission checks; the Wordfence analysis confirms the patch closes the unauthenticated access path that led to the XSS vector.
EPSS for the CVE rose from a low baseline to a peak of 0.6905 with a current value of 0.5035, indicating that exploitation interest increased after disclosure and that the vulnerability merits renewed attention.
OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2022-15420
Vulnerability Data
The WP HTML Mail WordPress plugin is vulnerable to unauthorized access which allows unauthenticated attackers to retrieve and modify theme settings due to a missing capability check on the /themesettings REST-API endpoint found in the ~/includes/class-template-designer.php file, in versions up…
more
to and including 3.0.9. This makes it possible for attackers with no privileges to execute the endpoint and add malicious JavaScript to a vulnerable WordPress site.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
Likely ATT&CK TechniquesAI
Techniques this vulnerability likely enables, inferred from its description, weakness type, and attributed-actor tradecraft. Confidence is per-technique.
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Control response
Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI
Directly enforces authorization checks on the /themesettings REST endpoint so that unauthenticated callers cannot retrieve or alter theme settings.
Requires that only the minimum necessary privileges are granted, eliminating the unauthenticated access path that allowed arbitrary theme-setting changes.
Restricts the ability to modify configuration (theme settings) to authorized principals, blocking the unauthorized modification vector described in the CVE.
Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Explicitly requires defining, enforcing, and reviewing authorizations and least privilege, directly preventing missing authorization checks.
Secure SDLC practices directly target introduction of XSS via coding standards/testing (mostly), yet the single broad outcome leaves many specific neutralization vectors unaddressed (partial).
Patching and EOL replacement can remediate known XSS instances in libraries or frameworks (partial) but do nothing to enforce input neutralization in application code (none).
Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Secure-coding testing and automated code-analysis tools are applied to detect improper neutralization of script-related content during web-page generation.
Requiring authentication and credentials before any access occurs eliminates the absence of authorization checks that would otherwise allow an unauthenticated actor to reach protected resources.
Requiring formal authorization of every access request before rights are granted ensures that checks for required permissions are performed, preventing missing authorization checks from being introduced.
Mandatory authorization checks and central records of granted rights ensure that every access attempt is preceded by an explicit decision rather than relying on missing checks.
Segregating the approval of access rights from their implementation provides an independent check that reduces the impact of missing authorization checks in the resulting system configuration.
By requiring competent outsiders to verify that every function enforces the need-to-know principle, the control lowers the likelihood that missing authorization checks persist undetected.