CVE-2014-3123 in NextCellent Gallery
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in admin/manage-images.php in the NextCellent Gallery plugin before 1.19.18 for WordPress allows remote authenticated users with the NextGEN Upload images, NextGEN Manage gallery, or NextGEN Manage others gallery permission to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the "Alt & Title Text" field.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/03/2018
The CVE-2014-3123 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the NextCellent Gallery plugin for WordPress, specifically affecting versions prior to 1.19.18. This vulnerability resides in the admin/manage-images.php file and demonstrates a classic security weakness that exploits user input validation failures. The flaw enables malicious actors with specific administrative permissions to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code within the context of other users' browsers. The vulnerability's impact is particularly concerning because it targets authenticated administrators who possess permissions related to image management within the NextGEN gallery system, creating a direct pathway for privilege escalation and persistent malicious activities.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input sanitization within the "Alt & Title Text" field processing mechanism. When administrators enter content into this field, the plugin fails to properly validate or escape the input before rendering it in the web interface. This lack of proper sanitization creates an environment where malicious payloads can be injected and subsequently executed when other users view the affected gallery images. The vulnerability operates under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-79, which specifically addresses Cross-site Scripting flaws in web applications. The attack vector requires authentication and specific permission levels, making it a privilege-based XSS vulnerability that can be exploited by insiders or compromised accounts with appropriate access rights.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, potentially allowing attackers to perform session hijacking, redirect users to malicious websites, or execute persistent malware within the victim's browser environment. Since the vulnerability affects the administration interface, successful exploitation could enable attackers to manipulate gallery content, modify image metadata, or even gain deeper access to the WordPress installation through the compromised administrative session. The affected permissions include NextGEN Upload images, NextGEN Manage gallery, and NextGEN Manage others gallery, which collectively provide substantial control over media management within the WordPress ecosystem. This vulnerability directly aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter and T1566.001 for Phishing, as it enables attackers to craft malicious payloads that can be delivered through the gallery management interface.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement the patch released in NextCellent Gallery version 1.19.18, which addresses the input validation issues in the manage-images.php file. System administrators should also consider implementing additional security measures such as input validation at multiple layers, regular security audits of WordPress plugins, and monitoring for suspicious administrative activities. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of proper input sanitization in web applications and the necessity of keeping all plugin components updated to address known security flaws. Network monitoring should include detection of unusual administrative activities and potential XSS payload delivery attempts, while security teams should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments of all WordPress installations to identify similar issues in other plugins or themes that may be vulnerable to similar input validation flaws.