CVE-2016-10879 in wp-live-chat-support Plugin
Summary
by MITRE
The wp-live-chat-support plugin before 6.2.02 for WordPress has XSS.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/23/2023
The wp-live-chat-support plugin for WordPress represents a critical security vulnerability through its implementation of cross-site scripting (XSS) flaws that existed in versions prior to 6.2.02. This vulnerability falls under the common weakness enumeration CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting attacks where malicious scripts are injected into web applications. The plugin's failure to properly sanitize user input within its live chat functionality creates an exploitable vector that allows attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code into the application's response, thereby compromising the security of both administrators and end-users who interact with the chat interface.
The technical flaw manifests when users input data into the chat system without proper validation or sanitization measures being implemented. Attackers can craft malicious payloads that exploit the lack of input filtering to execute scripts within the context of other users' browsers. This vulnerability specifically affects the plugin's handling of chat messages, user names, or other interactive elements where user-supplied content is rendered back to the browser without appropriate escaping or encoding mechanisms. The XSS vulnerability can be exploited through various vectors including reflected XSS where malicious input is immediately reflected back in the application's response, or stored XSS where the malicious code is permanently stored and executed when other users view the affected content.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or defacement. Attackers can leverage the XSS flaw to hijack user sessions, steal cookies, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of users, or redirect them to malicious websites. In the context of a WordPress environment, this vulnerability becomes particularly dangerous as it can potentially allow attackers to escalate privileges, gain access to administrative functions, or compromise the entire WordPress installation. The vulnerability affects not just individual users but the entire website ecosystem, as any user who interacts with the live chat functionality becomes a potential target for exploitation. This type of vulnerability aligns with attack techniques described in the attack pattern taxonomy under the category of web application attacks and represents a significant risk to organizations relying on WordPress plugins for customer support functionality.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of the wp-live-chat-support plugin to version 6.2.02 or later, which contains the necessary sanitization and input validation fixes. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation mechanisms that properly escape or encode all user-supplied data before rendering it in the browser context. Security measures should include content security policy (CSP) headers to prevent execution of unauthorized scripts, regular security auditing of third-party plugins, and maintaining up-to-date security monitoring systems. Additionally, administrators should consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block malicious XSS payloads, while also conducting regular security assessments of all installed plugins to identify potential vulnerabilities. The remediation process must include thorough testing to ensure that the patch does not introduce compatibility issues with existing website functionality, as the security of the live chat system is critical for user engagement and support operations.