CVE-2017-1002017 in gift-certificate-creator
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in wordpress plugin gift-certificate-creator v1.0, The code in gc-list.php doesn't sanitize user input to prevent a stored XSS vulnerability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/16/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-1002017 affects the gift-certificate-creator wordpress plugin version 1.0, specifically within the gc-list.php file where inadequate input sanitization creates a persistent cross-site scripting vulnerability. This flaw allows attackers to inject malicious scripts that persist in the application's database and execute whenever the affected page is loaded by other users. The vulnerability stems from the plugin's failure to properly validate and sanitize user-supplied data before storing it in the database, creating a stored XSS attack vector that can compromise user sessions and potentially lead to full system compromise. The issue represents a critical security gap in web application input validation practices and demonstrates the importance of proper data sanitization in content management systems.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs when user input is directly processed and stored without adequate sanitization measures. The gc-list.php script accepts user data through various input vectors including form submissions or API calls, but fails to implement proper input validation techniques such as whitelisting, escaping, or encoding of special characters. This allows malicious actors to inject javascript payloads that are then stored in the database and executed in the context of other users' browsers when they access the affected pages. The vulnerability is classified as a stored XSS attack because the malicious code is permanently stored on the server and executed automatically when users access the vulnerable functionality, making it particularly dangerous as it can affect multiple users over time rather than requiring individual exploitation for each user.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risks for wordpress sites using the affected plugin, as it allows attackers to execute arbitrary javascript code in the browsers of authenticated users. The attack can result in session hijacking, credential theft, redirection to malicious sites, data exfiltration, and potentially full system compromise if users have administrative privileges. The persistent nature of stored XSS means that even after the initial injection, the malicious code continues to execute for all users who access the affected pages, making the impact cumulative and long-lasting. Organizations using this plugin face potential regulatory compliance issues, reputation damage, and financial losses due to potential data breaches and system compromises that could result from exploitation of this vulnerability.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-1002017 should include immediate patching of the gift-certificate-creator plugin to version 1.1 or later, which addresses the input sanitization issues. System administrators should implement proper input validation and output escaping techniques using established security libraries and frameworks. The implementation should follow secure coding practices including the use of context-specific escaping, proper HTML entity encoding, and input validation using whitelisting approaches. Additionally, organizations should conduct regular security assessments of their wordpress installations, implement web application firewalls, and maintain up-to-date vulnerability scanning processes. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which describes cross-site scripting flaws, and represents a clear violation of ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter usage in web applications. Organizations should also consider implementing content security policies and monitoring for unusual user activity that might indicate exploitation attempts.