CVE-2015-9342 in wp-rollback Plugin
Summary
by MITRE
The wp-rollback plugin before 1.2.3 for WordPress has XSS.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/04/2023
The wp-rollback plugin vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw that affected WordPress users running versions prior to 1.2.3. This vulnerability resides within the plugin's handling of user input and parameter processing, creating an attack vector that could be exploited by malicious actors to execute arbitrary scripts in the context of a victim's browser. The flaw specifically manifests when the plugin processes data from HTTP request parameters without proper sanitization or output encoding, allowing attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code that would execute when other users view affected pages.
The technical implementation of this XSS vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output escaping mechanisms within the plugin's codebase. When users interact with the plugin's administrative interfaces or frontend components, the application fails to properly escape special characters in user-supplied data before rendering it in HTML contexts. This allows attackers to craft malicious payloads that can include script tags, event handlers, or other malicious code sequences that get executed when legitimate users access the compromised pages. The vulnerability is classified as a classic stored XSS issue where malicious input is permanently stored and then executed in subsequent user sessions, making it particularly dangerous for widespread impact.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to WordPress installations that rely on the wp-rollback plugin for version management and rollback capabilities. Attackers could exploit this flaw to steal session cookies, perform unauthorized administrative actions, redirect users to malicious sites, or inject phishing content that appears legitimate to end users. The impact extends beyond individual user compromise to potentially enable full administrative takeover of affected WordPress sites, especially when combined with other vulnerabilities or when administrators are tricked into visiting maliciously crafted URLs. The vulnerability affects not just the plugin's direct functionality but also the broader WordPress ecosystem's security posture, as compromised sites can serve as launching points for further attacks against users or networks.
The security implications of CVE-2015-9342 align with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting vulnerabilities in software applications. This classification emphasizes the fundamental flaw in input handling and output encoding practices that should be addressed through proper security coding standards and defensive programming techniques. The vulnerability also maps to ATT&CK technique T1566 which covers social engineering attacks through malicious web content, demonstrating how this particular flaw could be exploited as part of broader attack campaigns targeting WordPress environments. Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of affected installations and implement additional security controls such as web application firewalls, input validation rules, and regular security audits to prevent exploitation of similar vulnerabilities. The incident underscores the importance of maintaining up-to-date plugins and implementing comprehensive security monitoring to detect and respond to potential exploitation attempts before they can cause significant damage to WordPress installations and their users.