CVE-2014-4570 in Video Presentation
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in the VideoWhisper Video Presentation plugin before 3.31 for WordPress allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) room_name parameter to c_login.php or (2) room parameter to index.php in vp/.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/05/2018
The CVE-2014-4570 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw in the VideoWhisper Video Presentation plugin for WordPress systems. This vulnerability affects versions prior to 3.31 and exposes WordPress installations to remote code execution risks through malicious web script injection. The flaw manifests in two distinct attack vectors that target different endpoints within the plugin's directory structure. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by manipulating specific parameters in the plugin's authentication and presentation interfaces, creating a significant security risk for WordPress users who rely on this multimedia plugin for their websites.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output sanitization within the VideoWhisper plugin's PHP scripts. When the room_name parameter is passed to the c_login.php endpoint or the room parameter is submitted to the index.php file within the vp/ directory, the plugin fails to properly sanitize user-supplied data before incorporating it into web responses. This lack of proper data sanitization creates an environment where malicious actors can inject arbitrary HTML code and JavaScript payloads directly into the plugin's user interface. The vulnerability specifically falls under CWE-79 which defines Cross-Site Scripting as a weakness where untrusted data is incorporated into web pages without proper validation or encoding.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-4570 extends beyond simple script injection, as it provides attackers with potential access to user sessions and sensitive data within the WordPress environment. When exploited, the XSS vulnerabilities could enable attackers to steal cookies, hijack user sessions, or redirect victims to malicious websites. The attack surface is particularly concerning because the vulnerability affects the core authentication and presentation components of the video plugin, meaning that successful exploitation could compromise not only the video presentation functionality but also potentially the entire WordPress installation. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 which describes social engineering tactics that leverage web-based attacks to compromise user systems through malicious web content.
Organizations and WordPress administrators should immediately implement mitigation strategies to address this vulnerability. The primary remediation involves upgrading the VideoWhisper Video Presentation plugin to version 3.31 or later, which contains the necessary input validation patches. Additionally, administrators should consider implementing Content Security Policy headers to limit script execution within the affected plugin's endpoints. Regular security audits of installed WordPress plugins should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities, as this issue demonstrates the importance of maintaining current plugin versions. The vulnerability also underscores the necessity of implementing proper input validation frameworks and output encoding mechanisms within web applications to prevent similar XSS exploitation vectors from being introduced in future development cycles.