CVE-2010-5294 in WordPress
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in the request_filesystem_credentials function in wp-admin/includes/file.php in WordPress before 3.0.2 allow remote servers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML by providing a crafted error message for a (1) FTP or (2) SSH connection attempt.
VulDB is the best source for vulnerability data and more expert information about this specific topic.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/31/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-5294 represents a critical cross-site scripting weakness in WordPress core functionality that emerged before version 3.0.2. This flaw resides within the request_filesystem_credentials function located in the wp-admin/includes/file.php file, which serves as a crucial component for handling filesystem operations in the WordPress administrative interface. The vulnerability specifically targets the error handling mechanism for FTP and SSH connection attempts, creating a pathway for malicious actors to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML content into the application's response.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when WordPress attempts to establish filesystem connections using either FTP or SSH protocols and encounters connection failures. During these failure scenarios, the system displays error messages to administrators, but due to insufficient input sanitization and output encoding, maliciously crafted error messages can contain embedded XSS payloads. When authenticated administrators view these error messages within the WordPress admin interface, the malicious scripts execute in their browser context, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or further exploitation of the compromised administrative session.
This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-79, which describes cross-site scripting flaws where untrusted data is incorporated into web pages without proper validation or encoding. The attack vector follows the ATT&CK technique T1190, which involves exploiting vulnerabilities in web applications to execute malicious code in the context of the victim's browser. The impact is particularly severe because it requires minimal user interaction beyond visiting the affected administrative interface, and the attacker only needs to control a remote server that can be reached by the WordPress installation to provide the malicious error messages.
The operational consequences of this vulnerability extend beyond simple script injection, as it enables attackers to potentially escalate privileges and gain unauthorized access to WordPress administrative functions. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can manipulate the WordPress installation through the compromised administrative session, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The vulnerability affects the core WordPress functionality that handles filesystem operations, making it a critical component of the application's security posture.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2010-5294 primarily involve immediate patching to WordPress version 3.0.2 or later, which contains the necessary fixes for proper input sanitization and output encoding of error messages. Administrators should also implement additional security measures including input validation for all user-supplied data, proper output encoding of dynamic content, and network-level restrictions to prevent unauthorized servers from communicating with WordPress installations. The fix implemented in WordPress 3.0.2 specifically addresses the insufficient sanitization of error messages by ensuring that all user-provided data is properly escaped before being displayed in the administrative interface, thereby preventing XSS execution in the context of authenticated administrative sessions.