CVE-2015-10078 in Resend Welcome Email Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 02/12/2023
A vulnerability, which was classified as problematic, has been found in atwellpub Resend Welcome Email Plugin 1.0.1. This issue affects the function send_welcome_email_url of the file resend-welcome-email.php. The manipulation leads to cross site scripting. The attack may be initiated remotely. Upgrading to version 1.0.2 is able to address this issue. The name of the patch is b14c1f66d307783f0ae74f88088a85999107695c. It is recommended to upgrade the affected component. The identifier VDB-220637 was assigned to this vulnerability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/10/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-10078 represents a cross site scripting vulnerability within the atwellpub Resend Welcome Email Plugin version 1.0.1. This security flaw resides in the send_welcome_email_url function located within the resend-welcome-email.php file, demonstrating a critical weakness in input validation and output sanitization mechanisms. The vulnerability's classification as problematic indicates its potential to enable malicious actors to execute arbitrary code within the context of a victim's browser session, thereby compromising user security and data integrity.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through remote attack vectors, meaning that malicious actors can initiate the XSS payload without requiring physical access to the target system. This remote exploit capability significantly amplifies the threat surface and makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in web-based environments where users interact with the plugin's functionality. The flaw specifically manifests when user-supplied input is not properly sanitized before being processed and returned to the browser, creating an opening for attackers to inject malicious scripts that can persist and execute within legitimate user sessions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or session hijacking, as it can enable more sophisticated attacks including credential harvesting, data exfiltration, and the potential for privilege escalation within the affected WordPress environment. The vulnerability's presence in a plugin that handles welcome email functionality suggests that it could be leveraged to target users during their initial interaction with a website, making it particularly effective for phishing attacks or social engineering campaigns. This type of vulnerability directly violates security principles outlined in CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross site scripting flaws in software applications.
Organizations and website administrators should prioritize immediate remediation through the recommended upgrade to version 1.0.2, which includes the patch identified by the commit hash b14c1f66d307783f0ae74f88088a85999107695c. This upgrade process represents a standard mitigation strategy that addresses the root cause of the vulnerability by implementing proper input sanitization and output encoding mechanisms. The patch likely incorporates defensive programming practices that align with ATT&CK technique T1059.007, which covers the use of scripts and command-line interfaces, by ensuring that user inputs are properly validated before being processed. Security teams should also consider implementing additional protective measures such as content security policies and web application firewalls to provide defense-in-depth against similar vulnerabilities that may not yet be patched or discovered.
The broader implications of this vulnerability highlight the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date third-party plugins and themes within WordPress environments. This incident serves as a reminder of how seemingly minor functionality within plugins can introduce significant security risks to entire web applications, emphasizing the need for comprehensive security testing and vulnerability management processes. The vulnerability's assignment of identifier VDB-220637 demonstrates the industry recognition of this flaw and its potential impact on web security infrastructure, reinforcing the necessity for continuous monitoring and proactive security measures across all components of web applications.