CVE-2016-10999 in Goodnews Theme
Summary
by MITRE
The Goodnews theme through 2016-02-28 for WordPress has XSS via the s parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/26/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-10999 affects the Goodnews WordPress theme version 2016-02-28 and earlier, representing a cross-site scripting vulnerability that arises from improper input validation within the theme's handling of the s parameter. This weakness allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users, potentially leading to unauthorized actions performed on behalf of victims. The vulnerability specifically manifests when the theme processes search queries through the s parameter without adequate sanitization or output encoding, creating an attack surface that can be exploited through various malicious payloads.
The technical flaw stems from the theme's failure to properly sanitize user input before incorporating it into dynamic web content. When a user submits a search query through the s parameter, the theme directly uses this input in the page rendering process without implementing appropriate security measures such as input validation, output encoding, or context-aware escaping. This primitive handling of user-supplied data creates a persistent cross-site scripting vulnerability that can be leveraged by attackers to execute arbitrary JavaScript code in the victim's browser context. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which categorizes cross-site scripting flaws as weaknesses in input validation and output encoding, specifically targeting the improper handling of dynamic content generation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it enables attackers to perform a wide range of malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, and redirection to malicious websites. An attacker could craft a search query containing malicious JavaScript that would execute whenever a victim visits the affected WordPress site, potentially compromising user sessions and accessing sensitive data. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in environments where multiple users access the same WordPress installation, as it can affect all visitors who encounter the malicious content. This type of vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 which describes the use of web-based attacks to gain initial access or maintain persistence through malicious payloads.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate action including updating to the latest version of the Goodnews theme where the XSS flaw has been addressed through proper input sanitization and output encoding. Administrators should implement comprehensive input validation that filters or escapes special characters in search parameters before processing, and ensure all user-supplied data is properly encoded when rendered in HTML contexts. Additionally, implementing 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 themes or plugins, as this vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input handling in web applications. The remediation process should also include monitoring for exploitation attempts and implementing web application firewalls to detect and block malicious search queries targeting this specific vulnerability.