CVE-2015-9432 in alpine-photo-tile-for-instagram Plugin
Summary
by MITRE
The alpine-photo-tile-for-instagram plugin before 1.2.7.6 for WordPress has CSRF with resultant XSS via the wp-admin/options-general.php?page=alpine-photo-tile-for-instagram-settings tab parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/28/2023
The CVE-2015-9432 vulnerability resides within the alpine-photo-tile-for-instagram WordPress plugin, specifically affecting versions prior to 1.2.7.6. This security flaw represents a critical intersection of cross-site request forgery and cross-site scripting vulnerabilities that fundamentally undermines the plugin's security posture. The vulnerability manifests through the wp-admin/options-general.php?page=alpine-photo-tile-for-instagram-settings endpoint where the tab parameter becomes the attack vector for malicious exploitation.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization within the plugin's administrative interface. When an authenticated administrator visits the plugin settings page, the tab parameter is processed without proper CSRF protection mechanisms. This absence of anti-CSRF tokens allows attackers to craft malicious requests that can be executed in the context of the administrator's session. The flaw becomes particularly dangerous because it enables attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code through the tab parameter, which then gets executed when the administrator views the settings page. The vulnerability follows the CWE-352 pattern for cross-site request forgery, while simultaneously creating a path for CWE-79 cross-site scripting exploitation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or manipulation. An attacker with access to an administrator's session can execute arbitrary JavaScript code within the context of the WordPress admin interface, potentially leading to complete compromise of the WordPress installation. This includes the ability to modify plugin settings, inject malicious code into the admin interface, escalate privileges, or even establish persistent backdoors. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it requires minimal user interaction beyond the administrator visiting the compromised settings page, making it a stealthy attack vector that could remain undetected for extended periods. The attack follows ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter, specifically JavaScript execution within a web application context.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-9432 require immediate attention through plugin version updates to 1.2.7.6 or later, which includes proper CSRF token implementation and input sanitization. Organizations should also implement additional security measures such as regular security audits of WordPress plugins, monitoring for unauthorized changes to administrative settings, and ensuring that administrative sessions are protected with secure authentication mechanisms. Network-level protections including web application firewalls can help detect and block malicious requests targeting this specific vulnerability pattern. The fix addresses the core issue by implementing proper CSRF token validation and ensuring that all user-supplied input through the tab parameter is properly sanitized before processing, preventing the execution of malicious payloads that could otherwise be injected through the vulnerable parameter.