CVE-2013-6281 in dhtmlxSpreadsheet
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in codebase/spreadsheet.php in the Spreadsheet (dhtmlxSpreadsheet) plugin 2.0 for WordPress allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the "page" parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/23/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-6281 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the dhtmlxSpreadsheet plugin version 2.0 for WordPress platforms. This security weakness resides in the codebase/spreadsheet.php file and specifically affects how the application processes user input through the "page" parameter. The issue enables remote attackers to execute malicious web scripts or HTML code within the context of other users' browsers, potentially leading to unauthorized actions and data compromise.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which categorizes cross-site scripting as a code injection flaw where untrusted data is improperly incorporated into web pages without proper validation or escaping mechanisms. The dhtmlxSpreadsheet plugin fails to adequately sanitize or validate the "page" parameter input, allowing malicious actors to inject harmful scripts that execute in the victim's browser when the compromised page is rendered. This particular implementation flaw demonstrates a classic XSS vulnerability where user-supplied data flows directly into the application's output without sufficient security controls.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to perform session hijacking, steal sensitive cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or even modify content displayed on the WordPress site. Given that WordPress plugins often have elevated privileges and access to user data, exploitation of this vulnerability could potentially lead to complete compromise of the affected WordPress installation. The remote nature of the attack means that malicious actors need only craft a malicious URL with the vulnerable parameter and distribute it to victims, making this attack vector particularly dangerous in web environments where users frequently click on links.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2013-6281 should prioritize immediate plugin updates to versions that address the XSS vulnerability, as the original dhtmlxSpreadsheet plugin version 2.0 contained the vulnerable code structure. Organizations should implement proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms to prevent similar issues, ensuring that all user-supplied parameters undergo strict sanitization before being processed or displayed. Additionally, network administrators should consider implementing web application firewalls and content security policies to add defensive layers against XSS attacks. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of regular security audits and maintaining current plugin versions to protect against known exploits, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1190 for exploitation of vulnerabilities and T1068 for local privilege escalation through web application attacks.