CVE-2016-10865 in Lightbox Plus Colorbox Plugin
Summary
by MITRE
The Lightbox Plus Colorbox plugin through 2.7.2 for WordPress has cross-site request forgery (CSRF) via wp-admin/admin.php?page=lightboxplus, as demonstrated by resultant width XSS.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/21/2023
The Lightbox Plus Colorbox plugin for WordPress versions 2.7.2 and earlier contains a critical cross-site request forgery vulnerability that exposes administrators to potential exploitation. This vulnerability exists within the wp-admin/admin.php?page=lightboxplus endpoint, which handles administrative configuration settings for the plugin. The flaw allows authenticated attackers with administrator privileges to perform unauthorized actions through forged requests, making it particularly dangerous in environments where admin credentials might be compromised. The vulnerability is classified as a CSRF weakness under CWE-352, which represents one of the most common and dangerous web application security flaws. The specific implementation allows for a chained attack pattern where the CSRF vulnerability can be leveraged to execute cross-site scripting attacks through width parameter manipulation.
The technical execution of this vulnerability occurs when an administrator visits a malicious website or clicks on a crafted link that triggers a forged request to the vulnerable plugin endpoint. The plugin fails to implement proper anti-CSRF tokens or validation mechanisms for the configuration page, enabling attackers to manipulate the width parameter and subsequently execute XSS payloads. This chained attack vector combines CSRF with XSS, amplifying the potential impact significantly. The vulnerability demonstrates poor input validation and insufficient request verification practices that violate fundamental web security principles. The attack requires minimal privileges since it targets the administrative interface, making it particularly attractive to threat actors seeking to establish persistent access to WordPress installations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or modification. Successful exploitation can lead to complete administrative compromise of WordPress sites, allowing attackers to modify plugin configurations, inject malicious code, or even install backdoors. The XSS component provides attackers with the ability to execute arbitrary JavaScript in the context of the administrator's browser session, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or further privilege escalation. Organizations running affected versions of the plugin face significant risk, especially in environments where administrators regularly browse untrusted websites or where social engineering attacks are prevalent. The vulnerability represents a critical weakness in the plugin's security architecture and demonstrates inadequate security testing during development phases.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate action from affected organizations. The primary recommendation is to upgrade to a patched version of the Lightbox Plus Colorbox plugin, as the vulnerability has been addressed in subsequent releases. Administrators should also implement additional security measures including regular security audits, monitoring of administrative actions, and enforcement of multi-factor authentication for administrative accounts. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls can provide additional defense-in-depth, though they should not replace proper patching. Security teams should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify any other potentially affected plugins or components within the WordPress ecosystem. The incident highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date security practices and implementing proper security controls throughout the software development lifecycle, aligning with ATT&CK framework techniques that emphasize privilege escalation and credential access through web application vulnerabilities.