CVE-2014-5344 in Mobiloud
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in the Mobiloud (mobiloud-mobile-app-plugin) plugin before 2.3.8 for WordPress allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors. NOTE: some of these details are obtained from third party information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/12/2019
The CVE-2014-5344 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw discovered in the Mobiloud mobile app plugin for WordPress, affecting versions prior to 2.3.8. This plugin, designed to enable mobile app functionality for wordpress sites, contained multiple XSS vulnerabilities that could be exploited by remote attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the plugin's codebase, creating persistent security gaps that could be leveraged for various malicious activities.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in software applications. These vulnerabilities occur when the application fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input before incorporating it into dynamically generated web content. In the case of Mobiloud plugin, the unspecified attack vectors likely involved parameters or data fields that were not adequately filtered or escaped before being rendered in web pages. Attackers could potentially exploit these weaknesses by crafting malicious payloads that would execute in the context of other users' browsers when they viewed affected pages, particularly those generated by the mobile app functionality.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it provides attackers with potential access to user sessions, data exfiltration capabilities, and the ability to perform actions on behalf of authenticated users. Given that WordPress sites often contain sensitive information and user data, the exploitation of such vulnerabilities could lead to complete compromise of affected websites. The mobile app plugin aspect adds additional complexity since it may be used in contexts where users have elevated privileges or access to sensitive data within the application ecosystem.
Security practitioners should implement immediate mitigation strategies including upgrading to the patched version 2.3.8 or later, which would contain proper input validation and output encoding measures. Additional defensive measures include implementing web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious script patterns, conducting thorough security audits of all installed plugins, and ensuring proper content security policies are in place. The ATT&CK framework categorizes such vulnerabilities under the T1059.007 technique for script injection, emphasizing the importance of input sanitization and output encoding as primary defensive mechanisms. Organizations should also consider implementing automated vulnerability scanning tools to identify similar issues in their WordPress installations and maintain updated threat intelligence to monitor for related exploitation attempts.