CVE-2015-10128 in rt-prettyphoto Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 01/02/2024
A vulnerability was found in rt-prettyphoto Plugin up to 1.2 on WordPress and classified as problematic. Affected by this issue is the function royal_prettyphoto_plugin_links of the file rt-prettyphoto.php. The manipulation leads to cross site scripting. The attack may be launched remotely. Upgrading to version 1.3 is able to address this issue. The patch is identified as 0d3d38cfa487481b66869e4212df1cefc281ecb7. It is recommended to upgrade the affected component. VDB-249422 is the identifier assigned to this vulnerability.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/22/2024
The vulnerability CVE-2015-10128 represents a cross site scripting vulnerability affecting the rt-prettyphoto WordPress plugin version 1.2 and earlier. This issue resides within the royal_prettyphoto_plugin_links function located in the rt-prettyphoto.php file, making it a critical security concern for WordPress installations that utilize this plugin. The vulnerability classification as problematic indicates that it poses significant risks to web application security and user data integrity. The cross site scripting flaw allows malicious actors to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or unauthorized actions performed on behalf of victims. The remote attack vector means that threat actors can exploit this vulnerability without requiring physical access to the target system, making it particularly dangerous for widely used WordPress plugins.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding within the plugin's codebase. When the royal_prettyphoto_plugin_links function processes user-supplied data or dynamic content, it fails to properly sanitize or escape special characters that could be interpreted as HTML or JavaScript code. This allows attackers to inject malicious payloads that execute in the context of other users' browsers when they view pages containing the vulnerable plugin functionality. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross site scripting flaws in web applications, and represents a classic example of how insufficient data validation can lead to severe security consequences in content management systems.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to perform various malicious activities within the compromised WordPress environment. Users accessing pages with the vulnerable plugin may unknowingly execute scripts that steal cookies, redirect them to malicious sites, or perform unauthorized actions on their behalf. The remote exploitation capability means that attackers can target multiple WordPress installations simultaneously without requiring direct system access, making this vulnerability particularly attractive for automated attack campaigns. Additionally, since this affects a widely used plugin, the potential attack surface is extensive, potentially compromising thousands of WordPress sites that have not yet applied the necessary patches.
The recommended mitigation strategy involves upgrading the rt-prettyphoto plugin to version 1.3 or later, which contains the necessary code modifications to address the cross site scripting vulnerability. The specific patch identified as 0d3d38cfa487481b66869e4212df1cefc281ecb7 provides the remediation needed to fix the input validation and output encoding issues within the royal_prettyphoto_plugin_links function. Security administrators should prioritize this upgrade across all affected WordPress installations and verify that the patch has been properly applied. Organizations should also implement additional monitoring and security measures to detect potential exploitation attempts and maintain comprehensive backup procedures to quickly restore systems if compromise occurs. This vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of keeping WordPress plugins updated and following security best practices recommended by the WordPress security team and industry standards such as those outlined in the OWASP Top Ten project.