CVE-2015-10098 in Broken Link Checker Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 04/08/2023
A vulnerability was found in Broken Link Checker Plugin up to 1.10.5. It has been rated as problematic. Affected by this issue is the function print_module_list/show_warnings_section_notice/status_text/ui_get_action_links. The manipulation leads to cross site scripting. The attack may be launched remotely. Upgrading to version 1.10.6 is able to address this issue. The name of the patch is f30638869e281461b87548e40b517738b4350e47. It is recommended to upgrade the affected component. The identifier of this vulnerability is VDB-225152.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/23/2023
The CVE-2015-10098 vulnerability affects the Broken Link Checker WordPress plugin, specifically versions up to 1.10.5, presenting a significant cross-site scripting risk that can be exploited remotely. This vulnerability resides within multiple functions including print_module_list, show_warnings_section_notice, status_text, and ui_get_action_links, which are critical components of the plugin's user interface and administrative functionality. The flaw allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into the plugin's output, potentially compromising users who interact with the affected administrative interfaces. The vulnerability's classification as remotely exploitable means that malicious actors can leverage this weakness without requiring physical access to the system, making it particularly dangerous in web environments where administrators regularly access plugin interfaces.
The technical implementation of this cross-site scripting vulnerability stems from insufficient input sanitization and output escaping within the plugin's core functions. When the plugin processes user-supplied data or generates dynamic content for display in administrative panels, it fails to properly validate and escape special characters that could be interpreted as HTML or JavaScript code. This allows attackers to inject malicious scripts that execute in the context of authenticated users' browsers, potentially enabling session hijacking, data theft, or privilege escalation. The vulnerability affects the plugin's ability to safely render administrative notices, status information, and action links, creating multiple attack vectors for exploitation. According to CWE classification, this represents a CWE-79: Cross-site Scripting vulnerability, which is categorized under the broader category of input validation and output encoding weaknesses.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can lead to complete administrative compromise when attackers leverage the XSS flaw to target privileged users. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could potentially execute arbitrary code within the browser context of an administrator, gaining access to sensitive configuration data, modifying plugin settings, or even performing administrative actions on behalf of the legitimate user. The remote exploitation capability means that this vulnerability can be leveraged from any location with internet access, making it particularly dangerous for WordPress installations that are publicly accessible. This type of vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1213.002: Data from Information Repositories, as it could enable attackers to extract sensitive data through the compromised administrative interface.
The remediation strategy for CVE-2015-10098 requires immediate upgrading of the Broken Link Checker plugin to version 1.10.6, which incorporates the patch identified by the commit hash f30638869e281461b87548e40b517738b4350e47. This update addresses the core sanitization issues within the affected functions by implementing proper input validation and output escaping mechanisms. System administrators should prioritize this upgrade as a critical security measure, particularly for WordPress installations where the plugin is actively used. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security measures such as web application firewalls, regular security audits of WordPress plugins, and monitoring for unauthorized modifications to plugin files. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the importance of keeping all WordPress components updated, as outdated plugins represent one of the most common attack vectors for web application compromises.