CVE-2014-4558 in Swipe Checkout for WooCommerce Plugin
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in test-plugin.php in the Swipe Checkout for WooCommerce plugin 2.7.1 and earlier for WordPress allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the api_url parameter.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/18/2024
The CVE-2014-4558 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Swipe Checkout for WooCommerce plugin version 2.7.1 and earlier, affecting WordPress installations. This vulnerability specifically resides in the test-plugin.php file and demonstrates a classic input validation weakness that enables malicious actors to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code within the context of affected websites. The vulnerability arises from insufficient sanitization of user-supplied input parameters, particularly the api_url parameter, which is processed without proper validation or encoding mechanisms.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when remote attackers craft malicious payloads and inject them through the api_url parameter in the test-plugin.php endpoint. When the vulnerable plugin processes this parameter, it fails to properly escape or validate the input before rendering it in the web page context, creating an XSS vector that can be leveraged by attackers to execute malicious scripts in the browsers of unsuspecting users. This flaw operates at the application layer and demonstrates poor input handling practices that violate fundamental web security principles.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-4558 extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, defacement of website content, redirection to malicious sites, and data exfiltration from user browsers. The vulnerability affects WordPress users who have the Swipe Checkout for WooCommerce plugin installed, potentially compromising the security of e-commerce transactions and user data. Given that WooCommerce is one of the most widely used e-commerce platforms for WordPress, the potential attack surface is significant, with numerous websites potentially exposed to this vulnerability.
Security professionals should consider this vulnerability in relation to CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in software applications, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 for initial access through malicious web content. The vulnerability also reflects broader security concerns related to parameter validation and input sanitization that are fundamental to preventing web-based attacks. Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of affected systems, as this vulnerability represents a known threat that has been documented in security advisories and threat intelligence feeds. The recommended mitigation strategy involves upgrading to the patched version of the Swipe Checkout for WooCommerce plugin, implementing proper input validation measures, and conducting comprehensive security audits of all installed WordPress plugins to identify similar vulnerabilities that may exist in the broader plugin ecosystem.