CVE-2007-0106 in WordPress
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the CSRF protection scheme in WordPress before 2.0.6 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via a CSRF attack with an invalid token and quote characters or HTML tags in URL variable names, which are not properly handled when WordPress generates a new link to verify the request.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/13/2018
The vulnerability described in CVE-2007-0106 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within WordPress's cross-site request forgery protection mechanism. This issue affects WordPress versions prior to 2.0.6 and demonstrates how flawed security implementations can create dangerous attack vectors that bypass intended protection measures. The vulnerability specifically targets the CSRF protection scheme, which is designed to prevent unauthorized actions from being executed on behalf of authenticated users, yet the implementation contains a fundamental weakness that allows attackers to exploit the system.
The technical flaw manifests when WordPress processes URL variables containing quote characters or HTML tags in the CSRF token validation process. When an invalid CSRF token is submitted along with malicious input in URL variable names, the system fails to properly sanitize or escape these inputs during link generation for request verification. This improper handling creates an XSS vulnerability where attacker-controlled content can be injected into the web page context. The vulnerability is particularly insidious because it leverages the legitimate CSRF protection framework to execute malicious scripts rather than bypassing it entirely.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple XSS exploitation, as it allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML content in the context of authenticated users. This creates significant risks including session hijacking, privilege escalation, data theft, and potential full system compromise. Attackers can craft malicious URLs that, when visited by authenticated users, will execute harmful code in their browsers, potentially leading to unauthorized administrative actions or data exfiltration. The vulnerability undermines the fundamental security assumptions of the CSRF protection system, transforming a protective mechanism into an attack vector.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which describes cross-site scripting flaws where untrusted data is improperly incorporated into web pages without proper validation or encoding. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1566, specifically the technique of "Phishing with Malicious Attachment" and T1059, "Command and Scripting Interpreter," as attackers can leverage this vulnerability to execute malicious code in user browsers. The issue also relates to T1071, "Application Layer Protocol," as it exploits HTTP request handling mechanisms. Mitigation strategies should include immediate patching to WordPress version 2.0.6 or later, implementing proper input validation and output encoding, and employing additional security measures such as Content Security Policy headers to limit script execution capabilities. Organizations should also conduct thorough security reviews of their web application frameworks to identify similar implementation flaws in other security mechanisms.