CVE-2016-10970 in supportflow Plugin
Summary
by MITRE
The supportflow plugin before 0.7 for WordPress has XSS via a ticket excerpt.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/25/2023
The CVE-2016-10970 vulnerability represents a cross-site scripting flaw discovered in the supportflow plugin for WordPress systems prior to version 0.7. This vulnerability specifically affects the handling of ticket excerpts within the plugin's user interface, creating a potential security risk for WordPress administrators and users who rely on the supportflow plugin for ticket management and customer support operations. The issue stems from insufficient input validation and output sanitization within the plugin's codebase, allowing malicious actors to inject malicious scripts into ticket excerpt fields.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs when the supportflow plugin processes user-supplied data for ticket excerpts without proper sanitization before rendering the content in web pages. When administrators or users view tickets containing maliciously crafted excerpts, the embedded scripts execute in the context of other users' browsers, potentially enabling attackers to perform actions on behalf of victims or steal sensitive information. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications. The vulnerability's impact is amplified by the fact that WordPress plugins often operate with elevated privileges, potentially allowing attackers to leverage this XSS vector for further exploitation within the WordPress environment.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-10970 extends beyond simple script execution, as it can be exploited to conduct session hijacking attacks, steal administrator credentials, or manipulate support ticket data. Attackers could craft malicious ticket excerpts containing malicious javascript payloads that would execute whenever other users view the tickets, potentially leading to complete compromise of the WordPress installation. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566, which covers social engineering tactics involving malicious content delivery, and could serve as an initial access vector for more sophisticated attacks. The vulnerability affects both end users and administrators who interact with support tickets, making it particularly dangerous in environments where multiple users have access to the supportflow plugin.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-10970 primarily involve upgrading to supportflow plugin version 0.7 or later, which includes proper input sanitization and output encoding mechanisms. Administrators should also implement proper content security policies to limit the impact of potential XSS attacks, and regularly audit plugin installations for outdated or vulnerable components. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of input validation and output encoding practices, which are fundamental security controls recommended by OWASP and other security frameworks. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing web application firewalls and regular security scanning to detect similar vulnerabilities in their WordPress installations. The fix implemented in version 0.7 likely involved proper sanitization of user input before rendering it in HTML contexts, adhering to security best practices that prevent XSS vulnerabilities at their source.