CVE-2012-2399 in WordPress
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in swfupload.swf in SWFupload 2.2.0.1 and earlier, as used in WordPress before 3.5.2, TinyMCE Image Manager 1.1 and earlier, and other products allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the buttonText parameter, a different vulnerability than CVE-2012-3414.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/01/2021
The cross-site scripting vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-2399 represents a significant security flaw in the SWFupload component that was widely adopted across various web applications including WordPress versions prior to 3.5.2 and TinyMCE Image Manager 1.1 and earlier. This vulnerability specifically affects the swfupload.swf file in SWFupload versions 2.2.0.1 and earlier, creating an exploitable condition that enables remote attackers to execute malicious code through web script injection. The vulnerability operates through the buttonText parameter, which serves as an injection vector for malicious payloads that can be executed within the context of a victim's browser session. This particular flaw differs from CVE-2012-3414, indicating that multiple XSS vulnerabilities existed within the same software ecosystem, highlighting the complexity of securing web applications that rely on flash-based upload components. The vulnerability falls under CWE-79 which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting flaws, where improperly sanitized user input is directly rendered back to users without adequate sanitization or encoding mechanisms.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when a malicious actor crafts a specially formatted buttonText parameter that contains embedded script code, which then gets executed when the SWFupload component processes and renders the parameter within the web interface. This type of vulnerability demonstrates a classic lack of input validation and output encoding in the affected applications, where user-provided data flows directly into the HTML output without proper sanitization. The impact extends beyond simple script execution as it can enable session hijacking, credential theft, and the potential for more sophisticated attacks such as defacement or redirection to malicious sites. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it can be triggered through legitimate upload functionality, making it difficult for administrators to detect unauthorized exploitation attempts. This vulnerability represents a fundamental breakdown in the principle of least privilege and input validation, where the application fails to properly handle potentially malicious input from users.
The operational impact of CVE-2012-2399 is substantial for affected systems as it provides attackers with a means to compromise user sessions and potentially gain unauthorized access to administrative functions. In WordPress environments, this vulnerability could allow attackers to inject malicious scripts that persist across user sessions, enabling them to steal cookies, modify content, or redirect users to phishing sites. The vulnerability affects not just WordPress but also other applications that utilize the SWFupload component, indicating a widespread exposure across multiple software ecosystems. Organizations using affected versions of TinyMCE Image Manager face similar risks, as the vulnerability exists within the core upload functionality that administrators and users interact with regularly. The persistence of this vulnerability in multiple products suggests that security teams must conduct comprehensive audits of their software dependencies to identify all instances of the vulnerable SWFupload component, as the attack surface extends beyond individual applications to encompass entire software stacks.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of affected software versions to address the core XSS flaw in the SWFupload component. System administrators should prioritize updating WordPress installations to version 3.5.2 or later, while also upgrading TinyMCE Image Manager to versions that no longer utilize the vulnerable SWFupload component. Additionally, implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms within affected applications can provide defense-in-depth measures that reduce the impact even if patches are not immediately available. Security teams should also consider deploying web application firewalls that can detect and block malicious buttonText parameter values, though this represents a reactive approach rather than a comprehensive fix. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the importance of maintaining up-to-date software components and conducting regular security assessments to identify and remediate similar issues before they can be exploited in the wild. Organizations should also implement security awareness training for developers to prevent similar input validation failures in future application development cycles, as this vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper sanitization of user-provided content in web applications.