CVE-2011-5194 in samswhois
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in vendors/samswhois/samswhois.inc.php in the Whois Search plugin before 1.4.2.3 for WordPress allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the domain parameter, a different vulnerability than CVE-2011-5193.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/14/2021
The CVE-2011-5194 vulnerability represents a cross-site scripting flaw discovered in the Whois Search plugin for WordPress, specifically affecting versions prior to 1.4.2.3. This vulnerability resides within the vendors/samswhois/samswhois.inc.php file and demonstrates a classic input validation weakness that enables malicious actors to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code in the context of affected users' browsers. The vulnerability manifests when the domain parameter is manipulated during whois search operations, creating an attack vector that can be exploited by remote attackers without requiring any special privileges or authentication.
The technical exploitation of this XSS vulnerability occurs through the improper sanitization of user-supplied input in the domain parameter. When a user submits a whois search query with maliciously crafted input, the application fails to adequately filter or escape the input before rendering it in the web response. This allows attackers to inject malicious scripts that execute in the victim's browser context, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious websites. The vulnerability is classified as a reflected XSS attack since the malicious payload is reflected back to the user through the application's response, making it particularly dangerous in web applications where user input is directly rendered without proper sanitization.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to WordPress installations using the affected Whois Search plugin. Attackers can leverage this flaw to compromise user sessions, steal sensitive information, or manipulate the application's behavior to redirect users to phishing sites. The impact extends beyond individual user compromise to potentially affect entire WordPress installations, especially when multiple users interact with the vulnerable plugin. The vulnerability's classification under CWE-79 (Cross-site Scripting) and its alignment with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 (Phishing) highlights its potential for being used in broader attack campaigns targeting WordPress environments. Organizations running vulnerable WordPress instances face increased risk of data breaches and unauthorized access when this plugin remains unpatched.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2011-5194 involve immediate patching of the Whois Search plugin to version 1.4.2.3 or later, which contains the necessary input validation and sanitization fixes. System administrators should also implement additional defensive measures including input validation at multiple layers, output encoding for all dynamic content, and regular security auditing of installed plugins. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of keeping WordPress plugins updated and following secure coding practices that prevent XSS attacks through proper input sanitization and output encoding. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and content security policies to add additional layers of protection against similar vulnerabilities in their web applications.