CVE-2016-10975 in fluid-responsive-slideshow Plugin
Summary
by MITRE
The fluid-responsive-slideshow plugin before 2.2.7 for WordPress has reflected XSS via the skin parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/25/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-10975 affects the fluid-responsive-slideshow WordPress plugin version 2.2.6 and earlier, representing a critical cross-site scripting flaw that compromises user security. This issue specifically resides within the plugin's handling of the skin parameter, which is used to control the visual appearance of the slideshow functionality. The vulnerability allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into the plugin's output, creating a persistent threat vector that can affect all users interacting with the compromised WordPress site. The reflected nature of this XSS vulnerability means that malicious code is injected into the page through user-supplied input that is immediately reflected back to the user without proper sanitization or encoding. This particular flaw falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is classified as a fundamental web application security weakness that enables attackers to execute scripts in the context of other users.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding within the fluid-responsive-slideshow plugin's parameter handling mechanism. When users navigate to pages utilizing the slideshow functionality, the plugin processes the skin parameter directly from the HTTP request without sufficient sanitization measures. The parameter value gets embedded into the HTML response without proper HTML escaping or context-appropriate encoding, creating an environment where malicious JavaScript code can be executed in the browser of unsuspecting users. This type of vulnerability typically occurs when developers assume that user input will be benign and fail to implement proper input validation or output encoding controls. The attack vector is particularly dangerous because it requires minimal user interaction beyond visiting a page that utilizes the vulnerable plugin, making it an ideal candidate for automated exploitation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to perform a wide range of malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, and redirection to malicious sites. An attacker could craft a malicious URL containing crafted JavaScript payload within the skin parameter that would execute when any user visits the page, potentially stealing cookies or session tokens. The reflected nature of the vulnerability means that the malicious payload doesn't need to be stored on the server, making detection more difficult and the attack more ephemeral. This vulnerability directly aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 which covers the use of malicious content in web applications. The compromise of a WordPress plugin through such a vulnerability can lead to complete site takeover, data exfiltration, and establishment of persistent backdoors. Additionally, the vulnerability can be exploited in conjunction with other attack vectors, such as phishing campaigns or social engineering tactics, to amplify the overall impact.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-10975 should prioritize immediate patching of the affected plugin to version 2.2.7 or later, which contains the necessary input sanitization and output encoding fixes. System administrators should also implement proper input validation at the application level, ensuring that all user-supplied parameters undergo rigorous sanitization before being processed or rendered in HTML contexts. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide an additional layer of protection by restricting the sources from which scripts can be loaded. Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments should be conducted to identify similar issues in other WordPress plugins and themes. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block malicious requests containing known XSS patterns. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation and output encoding practices, as outlined in OWASP Top Ten security guidelines, and highlights the necessity of maintaining up-to-date third-party components in web applications. Security monitoring should include detection of unusual parameter values in plugin requests, particularly those containing script tags or suspicious encoding patterns.