CVE-2012-0901 in yousaytoo
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in yousaytoo.php in YouSayToo auto-publishing plugin 1.0 for WordPress allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the submit parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/24/2025
The CVE-2012-0901 vulnerability represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw in the YouSayToo auto-publishing plugin for WordPress, specifically affecting version 1.0. This vulnerability resides in the yousaytoo.php script and demonstrates a critical weakness in input validation and output sanitization within web applications. The flaw occurs when the plugin fails to properly sanitize user-supplied data before incorporating it into web page responses, creating an avenue for malicious actors to execute arbitrary scripts in the context of other users' browsers.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the plugin's improper handling of the submit parameter, which serves as an entry point for attacker-controlled input. When a user submits data through the plugin's interface, the application does not adequately filter or escape special characters that could be interpreted as HTML or JavaScript code. This allows an attacker to craft malicious payloads that, when processed by the plugin, get executed in the browsers of unsuspecting users who visit pages containing the compromised content. The vulnerability manifests as a reflected XSS attack, where the malicious script is reflected back to the user through the vulnerable parameter without being stored on the server.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it enables attackers to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, and redirection to malicious sites. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability to steal administrator credentials, modify content, or even gain full control over the WordPress installation. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it requires minimal user interaction beyond visiting a compromised page, making it a significant risk for WordPress sites using the vulnerable plugin. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-79, which defines improper neutralization of input during web page generation, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 for initial access through phishing with malicious attachments or links.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate patching of the affected plugin to version 1.1 or later, which includes proper input sanitization and output escaping mechanisms. Administrators should also implement proper content security policies to limit script execution, deploy web application firewalls to detect and block malicious requests, and conduct regular security audits of installed plugins to identify similar vulnerabilities. The remediation process should include validating all user inputs through proper sanitization techniques such as HTML entity encoding, implementing proper output escaping for different contexts, and conducting thorough security testing before deploying any web application components. Organizations should also consider implementing automated monitoring solutions to detect unusual traffic patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts.