CVE-2014-125103 in Twitter Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 05/31/2023
A vulnerability was found in BestWebSoft Twitter Plugin up to 1.3.2 on WordPress. It has been declared as problematic. Affected by this vulnerability is the function twttr_settings_page of the file twitter.php. The manipulation of the argument twttr_url_twitter/bws_license_key/bws_license_plugin leads to cross site scripting. The attack can be launched remotely. Upgrading to version 1.3.7 is able to address this issue. The name of the patch is e04d59ab578316ffeb204cf32dc71c0d0e1ff77c. It is recommended to upgrade the affected component. The associated identifier of this vulnerability is VDB-230155.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/21/2023
This vulnerability exists within the BestWebSoft Twitter Plugin for WordPress, specifically affecting versions up to 1.3.2 and residing in the twttr_settings_page function within the twitter.php file. The flaw represents a cross-site scripting vulnerability that occurs when user-supplied input is not properly sanitized before being processed and rendered back to the browser. The attack vector is particularly concerning as it can be executed remotely through manipulation of the twttr_url_twitter, bws_license_key, or bws_license_plugin arguments, allowing malicious actors to inject arbitrary JavaScript code into the plugin's settings page.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which describes cross-site scripting flaws where untrusted data is improperly incorporated into web pages without proper validation or encoding. This weakness enables attackers to execute malicious scripts in the context of the affected website, potentially leading to session hijacking, data theft, or unauthorized administrative actions. The vulnerability's remote exploitation capability means that attackers can leverage this flaw without requiring local system access or direct user interaction beyond visiting the compromised WordPress site.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can provide attackers with persistent access to the affected WordPress installation. Once exploited, malicious scripts could potentially steal administrator credentials, modify content, or establish backdoor access to the entire website. The vulnerability affects the plugin's configuration interface, making it particularly dangerous as it targets administrative functions where privileged users would be interacting with the system. This creates a high-risk scenario where successful exploitation could lead to complete compromise of the WordPress site and potentially the underlying server infrastructure.
Security mitigation for this vulnerability requires immediate upgrading to version 1.3.7 of the BestWebSoft Twitter Plugin, which contains the patch identified by the commit hash e04d59ab578316ffeb204cf32dc71c0d0e1ff77c. The patch addresses the input sanitization issue by properly validating and escaping all user-supplied parameters before they are processed by the twttr_settings_page function. Organizations should also implement additional defensive measures including monitoring for suspicious activity in the plugin's settings page, implementing web application firewalls to detect and block malicious payloads, and conducting comprehensive security audits of all installed WordPress plugins to identify similar vulnerabilities. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1547.009 for additional protection, as it represents a technique that can be used to establish persistence through web application exploitation.
The broader implications of this vulnerability highlight the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date WordPress plugins and implementing robust security monitoring practices. Many WordPress sites remain vulnerable to such attacks due to delayed patching or lack of security awareness, making these types of cross-site scripting vulnerabilities particularly dangerous in the current threat landscape. Security teams should prioritize patch management processes and establish automated monitoring systems to detect potential exploitation attempts against known vulnerable components, ensuring that all WordPress installations maintain current security postures against evolving threats.