CVE-2016-10890 in aryo-activity-log Plugin
Summary
by MITRE
The aryo-activity-log plugin before 2.3.2 for WordPress has XSS.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/28/2023
The CVE-2016-10890 vulnerability represents a cross-site scripting flaw discovered in the aryo-activity-log WordPress plugin version 2.3.1 and earlier. This vulnerability exposes WordPress installations to potential security risks through malicious script injection attacks that can compromise user sessions and data integrity. The aryo-activity-log plugin serves as a logging mechanism for tracking user activities within WordPress environments, making it a valuable target for attackers seeking to exploit weaknesses in administrative interfaces. The vulnerability specifically affects the plugin's handling of user input without proper sanitization, creating opportunities for malicious actors to inject harmful scripts that execute in the context of other users' browsers.
The technical flaw manifests when the plugin fails to adequately sanitize or escape user-supplied data before rendering it in web pages. This occurs primarily in the plugin's activity logging functionality where user actions and input are stored and subsequently displayed without proper validation mechanisms. Attackers can craft malicious input that, when processed by the plugin, gets executed as JavaScript code within the browser context of authenticated users. The vulnerability follows the common pattern of reflected or stored cross-site scripting where malicious payloads are either reflected back to users or stored in the database and later executed. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, specifically categorized as CWE-79-Reflected or CWE-79-Stored depending on the execution context within the plugin's codebase.
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, and unauthorized administrative actions. When administrators or privileged users view the activity logs, their browsers execute the injected malicious scripts, potentially allowing attackers to steal cookies, modify content, or redirect users to malicious sites. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in environments where multiple administrators or users interact with the plugin's interface, as it can affect any user who views the compromised activity logs. This creates a vector for privilege escalation attacks where attackers can gain elevated access to WordPress administrative functions through the compromised logging interface.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-10890 require immediate plugin updates to version 2.3.2 or later, which contain the necessary sanitization patches to prevent script injection. Organizations should also implement proper input validation at multiple layers including application-level filtering, output encoding, and content security policies to provide defense-in-depth measures. The implementation of CSP headers can help prevent execution of unauthorized scripts even if the primary vulnerability is not patched. Additionally, monitoring activity logs for suspicious entries and implementing regular security audits of installed plugins can help detect potential exploitation attempts. Security practitioners should consider the ATT&CK framework's T1566 technique for credential access through phishing and T1071 for application layer protocol usage, as these attack patterns often involve similar exploitation methods targeting web application vulnerabilities. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input sanitization and output encoding practices, aligning with security best practices outlined in OWASP Top 10 and NIST cybersecurity guidelines for web application security.