CVE-2016-10973 in Brafton Plugin
Summary
by MITRE
The Brafton plugin before 3.4.8 for WordPress has XSS via the wp-admin/admin.php?page=BraftonArticleLoader tab parameter to BraftonAdminPage.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/25/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-10973 affects the Brafton plugin for WordPress, specifically versions prior to 3.4.8, and represents a cross-site scripting vulnerability that could potentially allow attackers to execute malicious scripts in the context of a victim's browser. This flaw exists within the plugin's administrative interface where user input is not properly sanitized or validated before being processed and rendered back to the browser. The vulnerability manifests through the tab parameter in the wp-admin/admin.php?page=BraftonArticleLoader URL, which is handled by the BraftonAdminPage.php file, creating an opportunity for attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code that would execute when administrators navigate to the affected page.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output sanitization practices within the Brafton plugin's administrative code. When the tab parameter is passed through the URL and processed by BraftonAdminPage.php, the plugin fails to properly escape or filter the input before incorporating it into the HTML output. This represents a classic case of reflected cross-site scripting as described by CWE-79, where malicious input is immediately reflected back to the user without proper sanitization. The vulnerability specifically affects the WordPress administrative interface, which means that successful exploitation could allow attackers to perform actions on behalf of administrators with elevated privileges, potentially leading to complete compromise of the WordPress installation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it could enable attackers to escalate privileges and perform various malicious activities within the WordPress environment. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could potentially steal administrator session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, modify content, or even install additional malware. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it targets the administrative interface where sensitive operations are performed, and the fact that it affects a widely used plugin increases the potential attack surface. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1059.001 (Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell) and T1566.001 (Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment) as attackers could leverage this to establish persistent access or deliver additional payloads. The reflected nature of the vulnerability means that attackers would need to entice administrators to click on a malicious link, but the impact could be significant given the elevated privileges associated with administrative accounts.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate remediation through plugin updates to version 3.4.8 or later, which would contain the necessary input validation and sanitization fixes. Organizations should also implement additional security measures such as input validation at the web application firewall level, regular security audits of installed plugins, and monitoring for suspicious administrative activities. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input sanitization and output encoding practices, which are fundamental security principles that should be applied throughout web application development. Security teams should also consider implementing content security policies to limit the potential impact of successful XSS attacks, even when input validation fails. Regular security assessments of WordPress installations and their plugins are essential to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities before they can be exploited by malicious actors.