CVE-2014-4515 in anyfont
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in mce_anyfont/dialog.php in the AnyFont plugin 2.2.3 and earlier for WordPress allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the text parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/10/2019
The CVE-2014-4515 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the AnyFont WordPress plugin version 2.2.3 and earlier. This vulnerability exists in the mce_anyfont/dialog.php file and exposes WordPress installations to remote code execution risks through malicious script injection. The flaw specifically targets the text parameter handling within the plugin's dialog interface, which is typically used for font customization in the WordPress editor. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by crafting malicious payloads that leverage the unfiltered input processing, potentially executing arbitrary web scripts or HTML code within the context of a victim's browser session. The vulnerability's impact is particularly severe because it operates within the WordPress administration interface, where users may have elevated privileges, making it a prime target for attackers seeking to escalate their access or compromise user data.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization within the plugin's backend processing. When users interact with the AnyFont plugin's dialog interface, the text parameter is directly incorporated into the page output without proper HTML escaping or content validation. This primitive input handling mechanism creates a direct path for attackers to inject malicious payloads that can execute in the browser context of authenticated users. The vulnerability maps directly to CWE-79, which categorizes cross-site scripting flaws as weaknesses in input validation where untrusted data is directly embedded into web pages without proper sanitization or encoding. The attack vector is classified as remote and unauthenticated, meaning that an attacker can exploit this vulnerability without requiring any prior authentication or access to the WordPress system itself.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-4515 extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to perform various malicious activities within compromised user sessions. An attacker could potentially steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious websites, or execute persistent attacks against authenticated WordPress administrators. The vulnerability's exploitation capability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566, which covers the use of malicious web content to gain initial access or execute malicious code in user browsers. The risk is amplified because WordPress administrators frequently use the editor interface where the vulnerability exists, making them prime targets for such attacks. Additionally, the vulnerability could be leveraged as a stepping stone for more sophisticated attacks, potentially leading to full system compromise if the attacker can gain access to administrative privileges through the compromised user sessions.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must address both immediate remediation and long-term security hardening measures. The primary recommendation is to upgrade to AnyFont plugin versions that have addressed this vulnerability, as the developers have released patches that properly sanitize input parameters before rendering them in the browser context. Organizations should also implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms to prevent similar vulnerabilities from occurring in other custom plugins or themes. Security monitoring should include detection of suspicious script injection attempts within WordPress editor interfaces, and regular security audits should verify that all plugins and themes properly handle user input. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of following secure coding practices and adhering to the principle of least privilege in web application development. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and content security policies to provide additional layers of protection against similar cross-site scripting attacks, while ensuring that all WordPress installations maintain current security patches and follow established security frameworks such as the OWASP Top Ten for web application security.