CVE-2008-0197 in WP-ContactForm
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in wp-contact-form/options-contactform.php in the WP-ContactForm 1.5 alpha and earlier plugin for WordPress allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) wpcf_email, (2) wpcf_subject, (3) wpcf_question, (4) wpcf_answer, (5) wpcf_success_msg, (6) wpcf_error_msg, or (7) wpcf_msg parameter to wp-admin/admin.php, or (8) the SRC attribute of an IFRAME element.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/14/2018
The CVE-2008-0197 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting the WP-ContactForm plugin version 1.5 alpha and earlier within the WordPress ecosystem. This vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output sanitization mechanisms within the plugin's contact form handling functionality. The flaw exists in the wp-contact-form/options-contactform.php file where user-supplied parameters are directly processed and rendered without proper sanitization, creating multiple attack vectors for malicious actors to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML content into the application's response.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability allows attackers to exploit eight distinct parameter injection points through the WordPress admin interface. The vulnerable parameters include wpcf_email, wpcf_subject, wpcf_question, wpcf_answer, wpcf_success_msg, wpcf_error_msg, and wpcf_msg, all of which can be manipulated through the wp-admin/admin.php endpoint. Additionally, the vulnerability extends to the SRC attribute of IFRAME elements, providing attackers with multiple pathways to execute malicious code within the context of authenticated admin sessions. This multi-vector approach significantly increases the exploitability and potential impact of the vulnerability.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses severe risks to WordPress administrators and users who rely on the affected plugin for contact form functionality. Attackers can leverage these XSS flaws to steal administrator session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, inject phishing content, or even escalate privileges within the compromised WordPress environment. The vulnerability specifically targets the administrative interface, making it particularly dangerous as it could enable attackers to gain full control over the WordPress installation. According to CWE-79, this vulnerability falls under the category of Cross-Site Scripting, which represents one of the most common and dangerous web application security flaws.
The attack surface is further amplified by the fact that these vulnerabilities exist in the plugin's configuration and form handling components, meaning that any user with access to the WordPress admin interface could potentially be exploited. The impact extends beyond simple data theft, as attackers can manipulate the contact form functionality itself, potentially altering success messages or error handling to deceive users or redirect them to malicious content. This aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001, which describes the use of malicious web content to establish initial access or maintain persistence within target environments.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigation strategies including updating to the latest version of the WP-ContactForm plugin, implementing proper input validation and output encoding for all user-supplied data, and establishing network segmentation to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation. Security headers such as Content Security Policy should be implemented to prevent unauthorized script execution, while regular security audits of third-party plugins should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of the WordPress ecosystem. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper sanitization practices and input validation in web applications, particularly in administrative interfaces where elevated privileges can lead to complete system compromise.