CVE-2012-5346 in Wp-livephp
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in wp-live.php in the WP Live.php module 1.2.1 for WordPress allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the s parameter. NOTE: some of these details are obtained from third party information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/23/2025
The CVE-2012-5346 vulnerability represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw within the WP Live.php module version 1.2.1 for WordPress platforms. This vulnerability specifically targets the wp-live.php script which serves as a component for live chat or real-time communication features within WordPress websites. The flaw exists in how the application processes user input through the s parameter, failing to properly sanitize or validate data before incorporating it into web page responses. This oversight creates a pathway for malicious actors to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code within the context of other users' browsers who visit affected pages.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability follows standard XSS attack patterns where an attacker crafts malicious input containing script tags or other HTML elements and injects them through the vulnerable s parameter. When legitimate users browse pages that utilize the affected wp-live.php module, their browsers execute the injected malicious code, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites. The vulnerability classifies under CWE-79 - Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, which specifically addresses weaknesses in web applications that fail to properly escape or validate user-supplied data before incorporating it into dynamically generated web content. This weakness directly enables the execution of client-side attacks that can compromise user sessions and data integrity.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to WordPress website administrators and their visitors. The impact extends beyond simple data theft to include potential complete compromise of user accounts and website integrity. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to inject malicious payloads that persist across multiple user sessions, effectively creating a backdoor for ongoing access to the compromised website. The vulnerability's remote nature means that attackers can exploit it without requiring physical access to the system or local network presence, making it particularly dangerous for widely accessible web applications. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1059.007 - Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell, as the injected scripts can execute commands on behalf of the victim browser, and T1566.001 - Credential Access: Phishing for Credentials, since attackers can use the compromised sessions to harvest user authentication data.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2012-5346 should prioritize immediate patching of the WP Live.php module to version 1.2.2 or later, which contains the necessary input validation and sanitization fixes. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation measures that enforce strict sanitization of all user-supplied parameters, particularly those used in dynamic content generation. The implementation of Content Security Policy (CSP) headers provides an additional layer of protection by restricting the sources from which scripts can be executed, effectively preventing the execution of injected malicious code even if the vulnerability remains unpatched. Regular security audits of WordPress plugins and themes should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities, and administrators should maintain updated security monitoring tools to detect anomalous script execution patterns. Additionally, implementing proper output encoding for all dynamic content and establishing a robust security patch management process ensures that such vulnerabilities are addressed promptly before they can be exploited in the wild.