CVE-2014-4597 in WP Social Invitations
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in test.php in the WP Social Invitations plugin before 1.4.4.3 for WordPress allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the xhrurl parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/15/2024
The CVE-2014-4597 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the WP Social Invitations plugin for WordPress, specifically affecting versions prior to 1.4.4.3. This vulnerability resides in the test.php file and demonstrates a classic input validation weakness that enables malicious actors to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML content within the context of a victim's browser session. The flaw operates through the xhrurl parameter, which serves as an entry point for attackers to inject malicious payloads that can be executed when the vulnerable page processes user input without proper sanitization or encoding mechanisms.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which categorizes cross-site scripting as a code injection flaw where untrusted data is directly incorporated into web pages without proper validation or encoding. The WP Social Invitations plugin fails to adequately sanitize the xhrurl parameter, allowing attackers to craft malicious URLs containing script tags or other HTML elements that get executed when the test.php script processes the parameter. This vulnerability operates at the application layer and requires minimal privileges to exploit, as it leverages the existing functionality of the plugin to deliver malicious payloads rather than requiring direct system access or elevated permissions.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-4597 extends beyond simple script execution, as it provides attackers with the capability to perform session hijacking, defacement of web pages, data theft, and redirection to malicious sites. When exploited, the vulnerability enables attackers to steal cookies, session tokens, or other sensitive information from authenticated users, potentially leading to complete account compromise. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it targets a widely used WordPress plugin, meaning that successful exploitation could affect numerous websites simultaneously. The vulnerability can be exploited through various methods including phishing emails, compromised websites, or social engineering campaigns that direct users to malicious URLs containing the crafted XSS payloads.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate patching of the WP Social Invitations plugin to version 1.4.4.3 or later, which contains the necessary security fixes. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms across all web applications, ensuring that user-supplied data is properly sanitized before being processed or displayed. The implementation of Content Security Policy (CSP) headers can provide an additional layer of protection by restricting the sources from which scripts can be loaded, thereby limiting the impact of successful XSS attempts. Network monitoring and intrusion detection systems should be configured to identify suspicious patterns in web traffic that may indicate exploitation attempts, while regular security audits and penetration testing can help identify similar vulnerabilities in other applications and plugins within the WordPress ecosystem. This vulnerability also highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date software versions and implementing robust security practices such as those recommended by the OWASP Top Ten project and the ATT&CK framework's web application exploitation techniques.