CVE-2015-7667 in ResAds Plugin
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in (1) templates/admanagement/admanagement.php and (2) templates/adspot/adspot.php in the ResAds plugin before 1.0.2 for WordPress allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the page parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/18/2019
The CVE-2015-7667 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw discovered in the ResAds WordPress plugin, affecting versions prior to 1.0.2. This vulnerability resides within two specific template files: templates/admanagement/admanagement.php and templates/adspot/adspot.php, making it particularly concerning as it targets core administrative and advertising display functionalities. The flaw stems from inadequate input validation and output sanitization mechanisms within these template files, creating exploitable entry points for malicious actors seeking to compromise WordPress installations.
The technical nature of this vulnerability places it firmly within the CWE-79 category, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting flaws in software applications. The vulnerability occurs when the page parameter is processed without proper sanitization, allowing attackers to inject malicious scripts that execute in the context of other users' browsers. This particular implementation flaw demonstrates poor secure coding practices where user-supplied input flows directly into HTML output without appropriate encoding or validation measures. The attack vector is particularly dangerous as it requires no authentication or privileged access, making it a prime target for automated exploitation campaigns.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risk for WordPress administrators and end users who may encounter malicious scripts executing in their browser contexts. The injected scripts could perform various malicious activities including cookie theft, session hijacking, redirection to malicious sites, or even data exfiltration from compromised user sessions. The vulnerability affects both the administrative interface and frontend advertising displays, potentially allowing attackers to gain unauthorized access to sensitive administrative functions or manipulate advertising content to serve malicious payloads. This dual impact makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous as it can compromise both the backend management system and frontend user experience.
Security professionals should implement immediate mitigations including updating to ResAds plugin version 1.0.2 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the input validation gaps. Organizations should also consider implementing Content Security Policy headers as an additional defensive measure to limit script execution capabilities in browsers. Network monitoring should be enhanced to detect suspicious parameter injection patterns, and regular security audits should verify that all WordPress plugins maintain current versions and proper input sanitization practices. The vulnerability highlights the importance of adhering to secure coding practices and proper input validation as outlined in the OWASP Top Ten security principles, particularly focusing on the prevention of XSS attacks through proper output encoding and input sanitization techniques.