CVE-2011-4562 in Redirection plugin
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in (1) view/admin/log_item.php and (2) view/admin/log_item_details.php in the Redirection plugin 2.2.9 for WordPress allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the Referer HTTP header in a request to a post that does not exist.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/23/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-4562 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Redirection plugin version 2.2.9 for WordPress systems. This security weakness manifests in two distinct files within the plugin's administrative interface: view/admin/log_item.php and view/admin/log_item_details.php. The vulnerability arises from improper input validation and output encoding mechanisms that fail to adequately sanitize user-supplied data originating from HTTP headers.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through manipulation of the Referer HTTP header during requests to non-existent posts within the WordPress environment. When attackers craft malicious Referer values and direct requests to nonexistent post endpoints, the vulnerable code fails to properly escape or filter this input before rendering it in the administrative interface. This allows attackers to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML content that executes within the context of authenticated administrator sessions.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a severe risk to WordPress installations using the affected Redirection plugin version. Attackers can leverage this XSS vector to execute malicious code in the browser of administrators who view the compromised log entries, potentially leading to complete system compromise through session hijacking, privilege escalation, or data exfiltration. The attack requires minimal privileges and can be executed remotely without authentication, making it particularly dangerous for high-privilege administrative accounts.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting flaws in web applications, and demonstrates characteristics consistent with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter. The attack vector exploits the trust relationship between the web application and its administrators, potentially allowing attackers to establish persistent access through malicious script injection that executes in the context of administrative sessions.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability include immediate upgrade to a patched version of the Redirection plugin, implementation of proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms, and deployment of web application firewalls that can detect and block malicious Referer header patterns. Additionally, administrators should consider implementing Content Security Policy headers to limit script execution and regularly audit plugin installations for known vulnerabilities. The recommended remediation approach emphasizes the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and implementing defense-in-depth strategies to protect against similar XSS vulnerabilities in other components of the WordPress ecosystem.