CVE-2016-1000147 in recipes-writer Plugin
Summary
by MITRE
Reflected XSS in wordpress plugin recipes-writer v1.0.4
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/24/2019
The vulnerability CVE-2016-1000147 represents a reflected cross-site scripting flaw discovered in the recipes-writer wordpress plugin version 1.0.4. This type of vulnerability allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users, creating a significant security risk for wordpress installations that utilize this specific plugin. The issue stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding practices within the plugin's codebase, specifically in how it handles user-supplied data that gets reflected back to the browser without proper sanitization.
The technical implementation of this reflected XSS vulnerability occurs when the plugin fails to properly escape or filter user input parameters before incorporating them into dynamic web page content. Attackers can craft malicious URLs containing script payloads that, when visited by unsuspecting users, execute the injected code within the victim's browser context. This typically happens through parameters that are directly echoed back to the browser without appropriate HTML entity encoding or other sanitization measures. The vulnerability falls under CWE-79 which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting flaws, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203 which focuses on Exploitation for Client Execution through web-based attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, data exfiltration, and redirection to malicious sites. An attacker could potentially escalate privileges within the wordpress environment if the targeted user has administrative access, or leverage the vulnerability to gain persistence within the affected system. The reflected nature of the vulnerability means that the attack payload must be delivered through external means such as email phishing campaigns or social engineering tactics, as the malicious script is not stored on the server but rather reflected back in the HTTP response to the victim's browser.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate patching of the recipes-writer plugin to version 1.0.5 or later, which contains the necessary security fixes. Additionally, administrators should implement proper input validation at multiple layers including server-side filtering and output encoding for all user-supplied data. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls can provide additional defense-in-depth measures, though they should not be relied upon as the sole mitigation. Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments should be conducted to identify similar issues in other wordpress plugins and themes. Organizations should also implement security awareness training for users to recognize potential phishing attempts that might exploit this vulnerability, and establish monitoring procedures to detect unusual traffic patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date software components and implementing robust security practices throughout the application lifecycle.