CVE-2007-6677 in WordPress
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Peter s Random Anti-Spam Image 0.2.4 and earlier plugin for WordPress allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the comment field in the comment form.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/06/2017
The CVE-2007-6677 vulnerability represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw within the Peter s Random Anti-Spam Image WordPress plugin version 0.2.4 and earlier. This vulnerability exists in the comment handling mechanism of the plugin, which is designed to prevent spam by generating random images for comment form verification. The flaw occurs when the plugin fails to properly sanitize or escape user input from the comment field before rendering it back to the web page. Attackers can exploit this weakness by submitting malicious script code within the comment text, which then gets executed in the browsers of other users who view the affected comments.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which describes improper neutralization of input during web page generation, commonly known as cross-site scripting. This weakness specifically affects the plugin's comment processing functionality where user-supplied data flows directly into the HTML output without adequate sanitization. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and requires no special privileges to exploit, making it particularly dangerous in web environments where user-generated content is prevalent. The attack vector is straightforward through the comment form, where the malicious input is processed and stored in the database before being displayed to other users, creating a persistent XSS threat.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, and defacement of the affected WordPress site. When users view comments containing the malicious script, their browsers execute the code within the context of the vulnerable site, potentially allowing attackers to steal cookies, modify page content, or redirect users to malicious domains. The vulnerability affects all users who have the vulnerable plugin installed, regardless of their authentication status, and can be exploited by anyone who can submit comments to the site. This makes it particularly problematic for public-facing WordPress installations where comment forms are open to all users.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2007-6677 involve immediate plugin updates to versions that properly sanitize user input and escape HTML characters in comment processing. Organizations should also implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms, particularly for user-generated content that will be displayed on web pages. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide additional protection against XSS attacks by restricting the sources from which scripts can be loaded. Regular security auditing of WordPress plugins and themes remains essential, as this vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input sanitization in web applications. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a web application attack technique under the 'Command and Control' and 'Persistence' domains, where attackers can establish long-term presence through persistent XSS payloads. System administrators should also consider implementing web application firewalls and regular security monitoring to detect and prevent exploitation attempts.