CVE-2014-4543 in Pay Per Media Player
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in payper/payper.php in the Pay Per Media Player plugin 1.24 and earlier for WordPress allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) fcolor, (2) links, (3) stitle, (4) height, (5) width, (6) host, (7) bcolor, (8) msg, (9) id, or (10) size parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/06/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-4543 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Pay Per Media Player plugin for WordPress, specifically affecting versions 1.24 and earlier. This vulnerability resides in the payper/payper.php file and demonstrates a classic input validation weakness that allows malicious actors to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML content into the plugin's output. The flaw affects multiple parameters including fcolor, links, stitle, height, width, host, bcolor, msg, id, and size, creating multiple attack vectors that significantly expand the potential exploitation surface.
This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-79, which defines Cross-Site Scripting as a weakness where untrusted data is sent to a web browser without proper validation or sanitization. The affected parameters represent various configuration options that control the player's appearance and functionality, making them prime targets for injection attacks. Attackers can leverage these parameters to inject malicious scripts that execute in the context of other users' browsers, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or unauthorized actions performed on behalf of victims. The vulnerability's impact is amplified by the fact that it affects core configuration parameters that are often user-controllable or can be manipulated through crafted requests.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-4543 extends beyond simple script injection, as it creates a persistent threat vector that can be exploited across multiple user sessions. When exploited, this vulnerability allows attackers to execute malicious code in the browsers of legitimate users who interact with the compromised WordPress site, potentially leading to complete compromise of user sessions and unauthorized access to sensitive information. The vulnerability's presence in a media player plugin means that users may unknowingly trigger malicious scripts when viewing content, making the attack surface particularly broad and difficult to detect. This type of vulnerability is categorized under the ATT&CK technique T1566, specifically targeting the initial access phase through malicious web content.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-4543 require immediate action including updating to the latest version of the Pay Per Media Player plugin where the vulnerability has been patched. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation and output sanitization measures, particularly for all user-controllable parameters that are processed by the plugin. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide additional protection against script execution, while regular security audits of WordPress plugins should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities. Security teams should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block malicious payloads targeting these specific parameter injection points. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of keeping WordPress plugins updated and maintaining robust input validation practices to prevent exploitation of similar weaknesses in other components of the web application stack.