CVE-2014-100023 in mTouch Quiz
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in question.php in the mTouch Quiz before 3.0.7 for WordPress allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the quiz parameter to wp-admin/edit.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/09/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-100023 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw in the mTouch Quiz plugin for WordPress, specifically affecting versions prior to 3.0.7. This vulnerability resides within the question.php file and exposes the plugin to remote code execution through malicious input injection. The flaw occurs when the quiz parameter is passed through the wp-admin/edit.php endpoint, creating an attack vector that allows malicious actors to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML content into the application's administrative interface. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output sanitization mechanisms that fail to properly escape or filter user-supplied data before rendering it within the web page context.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which categorizes cross-site scripting flaws as weaknesses in input validation and output encoding. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by crafting malicious payloads containing HTML or JavaScript code and submitting them through the quiz parameter. When the vulnerable plugin processes this input without proper sanitization, the malicious code gets executed within the context of other users' browsers who view the affected administrative pages. This creates a persistent threat where authenticated users could be compromised through session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites. The vulnerability's impact is amplified by the fact that it operates within the WordPress admin interface, providing attackers with elevated privileges and access to sensitive administrative functions.
The operational consequences of this vulnerability extend beyond simple script injection, as it enables attackers to perform various malicious activities within the compromised WordPress environment. An attacker could leverage this vulnerability to establish persistent backdoors, steal administrator credentials, modify quiz content, or even escalate privileges within the WordPress installation. The vulnerability affects the integrity and confidentiality of the entire WordPress administration system, potentially leading to complete compromise of the website. Given that WordPress admin interfaces typically contain sensitive configuration data, user management capabilities, and content editing tools, the exposure of this vulnerability creates a significant risk for organizations relying on the mTouch Quiz plugin for educational or assessment purposes.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-100023 should prioritize immediate patching of the mTouch Quiz plugin to version 3.0.7 or later, which contains the necessary security fixes. Organizations should also implement input validation measures at multiple levels, including server-side sanitization of all user inputs and output encoding of dynamic content before rendering in web pages. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls can provide additional defense-in-depth measures by monitoring and blocking suspicious input patterns targeting known XSS attack vectors. Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses in other plugins or custom code. The remediation process must include comprehensive testing to ensure that the patch does not introduce compatibility issues with existing functionality, while also verifying that all user inputs are properly sanitized through proper encoding mechanisms. Organizations should also consider implementing security monitoring solutions that can detect and alert on suspicious activities related to XSS attempts, particularly those targeting administrative interfaces.