CVE-2012-2912 in LeagueManager
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in the LeagueManager plugin 3.7 for WordPress allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) group parameter in the show-league page or (2) season parameter in the team page to wp-admin/admin.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/17/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-2912 represents a critical cross-site scripting weakness within the LeagueManager plugin version 3.7 for WordPress systems. This security flaw exists in the plugin's handling of user-supplied input parameters, specifically targeting the group parameter on the show-league page and the season parameter on the team page within the wp-admin/admin.php interface. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output sanitization mechanisms that fail to properly encode or escape user-provided data before rendering it within web pages.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability allows remote attackers to inject malicious scripts or HTML content through carefully crafted parameter values passed to the affected WordPress plugin. When the web application processes these parameters without proper sanitization, the injected code executes in the context of other users' browsers who visit the affected pages. This creates a persistent threat where malicious actors can manipulate the plugin's functionality to serve malicious payloads to unsuspecting users. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-79 as a failure to sanitize user input, which directly enables XSS attacks by allowing untrusted data to be interpreted as executable code.
The operational impact of CVE-2012-2912 extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, data exfiltration, and redirection to malicious sites. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability to steal administrator credentials, modify plugin configurations, or inject backdoors into the WordPress installation. The attack vector is particularly dangerous because it targets administrative interfaces through the wp-admin/admin.php endpoint, potentially providing attackers with elevated privileges and full control over the affected WordPress site. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for credential access through social engineering and T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter execution.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate action including updating the LeagueManager plugin to a patched version that properly sanitizes input parameters before processing them. System administrators should implement proper input validation measures that filter and encode all user-supplied data, particularly in administrative interfaces where sensitive operations occur. The implementation of Content Security Policy (CSP) headers can provide additional protection against XSS attacks by restricting the sources from which scripts can be loaded. Regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other WordPress plugins and themes, as this vulnerability demonstrates the common pattern of insufficient input sanitization in web applications. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and monitoring systems to detect and prevent exploitation attempts targeting known XSS vulnerabilities in their WordPress installations.