CVE-2015-9501 in Artificial Intelligence Theme
Summary
by MITRE
The Artificial Intelligence theme before 1.2.4 for WordPress has XSS because Genericons HTML files are unnecessarily placed under the web root.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/17/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-9501 affects the Artificial Intelligence theme for WordPress versions prior to 1.2.4, representing a cross-site scripting weakness that stems from improper file placement within the web directory structure. This issue specifically involves Genericons HTML files that are inadvertently located within the web root directory, creating an attack surface that malicious actors can exploit to execute arbitrary script code in the context of a victim's browser.
The technical flaw manifests from the insecure placement of Genericons HTML files in a location accessible to web users, violating fundamental security principles of least privilege and proper resource isolation. When these files are hosted in the web root, they become directly accessible to any user who can navigate to the specific URL paths where they reside, allowing attackers to inject malicious scripts that can execute in the context of legitimate users who visit pages utilizing the affected theme. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-79, which describes cross-site scripting flaws where untrusted data is improperly incorporated into web pages without proper validation or escaping mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to steal user sessions, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of victims, manipulate content displayed to users, or redirect them to malicious websites. In the context of WordPress themes, this weakness can be particularly dangerous because themes often control significant portions of website presentation and functionality, potentially allowing attackers to compromise entire websites or gain access to sensitive user information. The vulnerability affects not just individual users but can potentially impact all visitors to websites using the affected theme version.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate remediation through updating to the patched version 1.2.4 or later, which properly addresses the file placement issue. Additionally, administrators should implement proper file access controls and ensure that sensitive files are not accessible through web directories. The principle of defense in depth suggests that web applications should employ multiple layers of protection including input validation, output encoding, and proper access controls. This vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1213, which covers data from information repositories, as the insecure file placement creates opportunities for attackers to access and manipulate web application resources. Regular security audits of web application file structures and access permissions should be conducted to prevent similar issues from occurring in other components of the WordPress ecosystem.