CVE-2015-9347 in wp-plotly Plugin
Summary
by MITRE
The wp-plotly plugin before 1.0.3 for WordPress has XSS by authors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/04/2023
The wp-plotly plugin vulnerability CVE-2015-9347 represents a cross-site scripting weakness that affects WordPress installations using the wp-plotly plugin version 1.0.2 or earlier. This vulnerability specifically targets authors who possess the capability to create and publish content within the WordPress environment, making it particularly concerning for sites that allow user-generated content or collaborative editing. The plugin's failure to properly sanitize user input creates an avenue for malicious actors to inject harmful scripts into the web application's output, potentially compromising the security of both the site and its visitors.
The technical flaw stems from insufficient input validation and output escaping mechanisms within the wp-plotly plugin's code implementation. When authors create or modify plotly visualizations through the WordPress admin interface, the plugin fails to adequately sanitize the data before rendering it on web pages. This allows attackers to inject malicious javascript code through plot configuration parameters or data inputs that are subsequently executed in the browsers of other users who view the affected content. The vulnerability is classified as a reflected cross-site scripting issue where malicious payloads are executed when users access pages containing the compromised visualization data, aligning with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting vulnerabilities in web applications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or defacement, as it can enable attackers to perform a wide range of malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, and redirection to malicious websites. Authors with compromised accounts can be used as entry points to escalate privileges within the WordPress environment, potentially leading to full site compromise. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it requires minimal privileges to exploit, as authors typically have limited but sufficient access to create content that gets rendered on public-facing pages. This makes it a prime target for attackers seeking to establish persistent presence on WordPress sites without requiring administrative credentials, which is consistent with techniques described in the attack pattern framework.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-9347 primarily focus on immediate remediation through plugin updates to version 1.0.3 or later, which contains the necessary input sanitization fixes. Administrators should also implement additional security measures such as role-based access control restrictions, input validation at multiple layers, and regular security auditing of installed plugins. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper output encoding and input validation practices, which are fundamental requirements in security standards such as those outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and NIST cybersecurity guidelines. Organizations should consider implementing web application firewalls and content security policies to provide additional protection layers against similar vulnerabilities in their WordPress environments. Regular security assessments and patch management procedures are essential to prevent exploitation of such vulnerabilities and maintain overall system integrity.