CVE-2014-4599 in WP-Business Directory
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in forms/search.php in the WP-Business Directory (wp-ttisbdir) plugin 1.0.2 and earlier for WordPress allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) edit, (2) search_term, (3) page_id, (4) page, or (5) page_links parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/08/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-4599 represents a critical cross-site scripting weakness in the WP-Business Directory plugin for WordPress, affecting versions 1.0.2 and earlier. This security flaw resides within the forms/search.php file and exposes WordPress installations to remote code execution through malicious script injection. The vulnerability specifically targets five distinct input parameters including edit, search_term, page_id, page, and page_links, all of which are processed without adequate sanitization or output encoding mechanisms. Attackers can exploit these parameters to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML content that will execute in the context of other users' browsers when they access the affected pages.
This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, specifically representing a stored XSS attack vector where malicious payloads can persist in the application's database and affect multiple users. The attack chain begins with an attacker crafting malicious input for any of the five vulnerable parameters and submitting it through the plugin's search functionality. When other users navigate to pages that process these parameters, their browsers execute the injected scripts, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites. The impact is particularly severe because WordPress plugins often have elevated privileges and can access sensitive user data, making this vulnerability a prime target for attackers seeking to compromise entire WordPress installations.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-4599 extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable sophisticated attacks such as credential harvesting, session manipulation, and data exfiltration. An attacker could craft payloads that steal administrator cookies, modify content, or redirect users to phishing sites that appear legitimate. The vulnerability affects the core search functionality of the business directory plugin, making it particularly dangerous as legitimate users frequently interact with search features. This creates a high-risk environment where routine operations become potential attack vectors, and the damage can compound as malicious scripts execute in the context of authenticated users with elevated privileges.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-4599 must address both immediate remediation and long-term security hardening. The primary solution involves upgrading to a patched version of the WP-Business Directory plugin, as the vulnerability was resolved in subsequent releases through proper input sanitization and output encoding. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation that filters or escapes all user-supplied data before processing, particularly for parameters that directly influence page rendering. Additionally, the principle of least privilege should be enforced by ensuring that the plugin operates with minimal necessary permissions and that output encoding is applied consistently across all dynamic content. Security headers such as Content-Security-Policy should be implemented to provide additional protection against script execution, while regular security audits of third-party plugins should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1059.008 for Scripting and T1566 for Phishing, highlighting the need for both technical defenses and user awareness training to prevent exploitation of such vulnerabilities in real-world scenarios.