CVE-2014-3923 in Video Gallery
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in the Digital Zoom Studio (DZS) Video Gallery plugin for WordPress allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the logoLink parameter to (1) preview.swf, (2) preview_skin_rouge.swf, (3) preview_allchars.swf, or (4) preview_skin_overlay.swf in deploy/.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/03/2018
The CVE-2014-3923 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw discovered in the Digital Zoom Studio Video Gallery plugin for WordPress, affecting numerous web applications that rely on Flash-based media players for video content delivery. This vulnerability resides within the plugin's handling of user-supplied input parameters, specifically targeting the logoLink parameter that is processed by multiple Flash player files including preview.swf, preview_skin_rouge.swf, preview_allchars.swf, and preview_skin_overlay.swf located in the deploy/ directory structure. The flaw demonstrates a classic input validation failure where the plugin fails to properly sanitize or encode user-provided data before incorporating it into dynamically generated web content, creating an exploitable condition that can be leveraged by malicious actors to execute arbitrary scripts within the context of victim browsers.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when remote attackers manipulate the logoLink parameter passed to any of the affected Flash player files, allowing them to inject malicious HTML or JavaScript code that gets executed within the browser of unsuspecting users who view the compromised video gallery. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-79 - Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, which is a fundamental weakness in web application security that enables attackers to inject malicious content into web pages viewed by other users. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it leverages Flash player components that are commonly used in WordPress plugins, making the vulnerability potentially widespread across numerous websites that utilize the Digital Zoom Studio plugin.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can be exploited to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, defacement of web content, and redirection to malicious websites. Attackers can craft payloads that persistently exploit the vulnerability, allowing them to maintain access to compromised sites and potentially escalate privileges within the WordPress environment. The vulnerability's presence in multiple Flash player files increases the attack surface, as any of the affected components could be targeted, making it difficult for administrators to fully remediate the issue by patching only one location. This particular flaw aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 - Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment, as attackers could use this vulnerability to deliver malicious content through compromised WordPress sites that appear legitimate to users.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-3923 require immediate action from WordPress site administrators, including the immediate deactivation and removal of the vulnerable Digital Zoom Studio plugin from affected installations. The most effective remediation involves updating to the latest version of the plugin where the XSS vulnerability has been addressed through proper input sanitization and output encoding mechanisms. Security professionals should implement comprehensive input validation measures that filter or escape all user-supplied data before it is processed by the application, particularly focusing on parameters that are directly incorporated into HTML or Flash content. Organizations should also consider implementing Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to limit the sources from which scripts can be executed, providing an additional layer of protection against XSS attacks. Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments of WordPress plugins are essential to identify and remediate similar weaknesses before they can be exploited by threat actors. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the importance of maintaining up-to-date software components and implementing proper security controls to prevent the exploitation of known vulnerabilities in web applications.