CVE-2012-10018 in Mapplic Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 10/16/2024
The Mapplic and Mapplic Lite plugins for WordPress are vulnerable to Server-Side Request Forgery in versions up to, and including 6.1, 1.0 respectively. This makes it possible for attackers to forgery requests coming from a vulnerable site's server and ultimately perform an XSS attack if requesting an SVG file.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/19/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-10018 affects the Mapplic and Mapplic Lite plugins for WordPress, representing a critical server-side request forgery weakness that has persisted through versions up to 6.1 and 1.0 respectively. This flaw enables attackers to manipulate the plugin's functionality to make unauthorized requests from the vulnerable WordPress server, creating a significant security risk that extends beyond the immediate plugin scope. The vulnerability specifically manifests when the plugin processes external resources, particularly SVG files, which are commonly used for mapping visualizations and geographic data representation.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization within the plugin's remote resource handling mechanisms. When the Mapplic plugins process user-supplied URLs or external data sources, they fail to properly validate or restrict the origins of requested resources. This allows malicious actors to craft requests that appear to originate from the legitimate WordPress server, bypassing normal network security controls and access restrictions. The flaw operates at the application layer and leverages the server's trusted network connections to make unauthorized requests to internal or external systems.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exfiltration to enable more sophisticated attack vectors including cross-site scripting exploitation. Attackers can leverage the server-side request forgery to retrieve malicious SVG files from compromised external servers or internal networks, which then get processed and rendered by the vulnerable WordPress installation. This creates a pathway for attackers to execute arbitrary JavaScript code within the context of the victim's browser, potentially leading to session hijacking, data theft, or full system compromise. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be exploited without requiring authentication or direct user interaction, making it a significant threat to WordPress installations.
The attack surface for this vulnerability aligns with CWE-918, which describes server-side request forgery vulnerabilities that enable attackers to make requests that appear to originate from the server itself. This weakness falls under the broader category of insecure direct object references and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1190, which involves exploiting vulnerabilities in web applications to perform server-side request forgery. Organizations running affected versions of Mapplic or Mapplic Lite plugins face potential exposure to lateral movement attacks, as the vulnerability allows attackers to potentially access internal network resources that would normally be restricted from external access. The exploitation of this vulnerability requires minimal user interaction and can be automated, making it particularly attractive to threat actors conducting large-scale attacks.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2012-10018 should prioritize immediate plugin updates to the latest available versions that contain patches addressing the server-side request forgery vulnerability. Organizations should implement network-level restrictions to prevent outbound requests to untrusted external domains and establish proper input validation for all external resource handling within the WordPress installation. Additional protective measures include deploying web application firewalls to monitor and block suspicious requests, implementing content security policies to restrict SVG processing, and conducting regular security audits of installed plugins to identify other potential vulnerabilities. The remediation process should also include monitoring for any signs of exploitation attempts and ensuring that all WordPress core installations maintain current security patches to prevent additional attack vectors from being exploited.