CVE-2016-1222 in php-contact-form
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Kobe Beauty php-contact-form before 2016-05-18 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via a crafted URI.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/22/2022
The CVE-2016-1222 vulnerability represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw in the Kobe Beauty php-contact-form plugin, which was prevalent before the 2016-05-18 release date. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting attacks where malicious scripts are injected into web applications. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding within the contact form processing mechanism, creating an exploitable entry point for remote attackers to execute malicious code within the context of victim browsers.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of Uniform Resource Identifiers that are processed by the vulnerable php-contact-form plugin. Attackers can craft specially designed URIs containing malicious script payloads that, when processed by the vulnerable application, get executed in the browser of unsuspecting users who visit the affected pages. This occurs because the plugin fails to properly sanitize or escape user-supplied input parameters before rendering them in web responses, allowing the injection of HTML and JavaScript code that executes in the victim's browser context.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to perform a wide range of malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, data exfiltration, and redirection to malicious sites. The vulnerability particularly affects web applications that rely on the Kobe Beauty php-contact-form plugin for user interaction, potentially compromising user sessions and allowing attackers to impersonate legitimate users within the application. Given that this vulnerability existed in versions prior to 2016-05-18, many websites would have been exposed to risk for an extended period without proper patching or mitigation measures.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-1222 should prioritize immediate patching of the affected php-contact-form plugin to the version released after May 18, 2016, which presumably includes proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms. Organizations should implement comprehensive input sanitization routines that validate and escape all user-supplied data before processing, following established security practices such as those outlined in the OWASP Top Ten. Additionally, deployment of web application firewalls and content security policies can provide additional layers of protection against XSS attacks. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date software components and implementing robust security practices that align with industry standards and frameworks such as those referenced in the ATT&CK framework for web application security threats.