CVE-2017-17043 in Emag Marketplace Connector Plugin
Summary
by MITRE
The Emag Marketplace Connector plugin 1.0.0 for WordPress has reflected XSS because the parameter "post" to /wp-content/plugins/emag-marketplace-connector/templates/order/awb-meta-box.php is not filtered correctly.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/16/2023
The CVE-2017-17043 vulnerability represents a critical reflected cross-site scripting flaw within the Emag Marketplace Connector WordPress plugin version 1.0.0. This security weakness resides in the plugin's handling of user input within the order management interface, specifically in the awb-meta-box.php template file. The vulnerability occurs when the plugin fails to properly sanitize or escape the "post" parameter that is passed through the URL to the affected template file, creating an avenue for malicious actors to inject arbitrary JavaScript code into the plugin's administrative interface.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability follows a classic reflected XSS pattern where user-supplied data flows directly from the HTTP request into the web page response without proper sanitization. When administrators access order details or related pages, the unsanitized "post" parameter value is echoed back into the HTML output, allowing attackers to craft malicious URLs that, when visited by authenticated administrators, execute arbitrary JavaScript code within the administrator's browser context. This reflected nature means the attack payload is delivered through a malicious link rather than being stored on the server, making it particularly dangerous as it can be delivered via phishing emails or compromised websites.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it provides attackers with the capability to escalate privileges and potentially gain full administrative control over the compromised WordPress site. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to steal administrator session cookies, modify order data, inject malicious content into the site's frontend, or redirect administrators to malicious domains. The vulnerability directly aligns with CWE-79 which defines Cross-Site Scripting as a weakness where untrusted data is sent to a web browser without proper validation or escaping, and it maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript, demonstrating how attackers can leverage the reflected XSS to execute malicious JavaScript code within the victim's browser session.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate action including updating the Emag Marketplace Connector plugin to a patched version that properly sanitizes user input through functions like esc_attr() or esc_html() for HTML output, implementing proper input validation, and utilizing Content Security Policy headers to limit script execution. Organizations should also implement network-level protections such as web application firewalls that can detect and block malicious reflected XSS payloads, conduct regular security audits of installed plugins, and maintain comprehensive backup systems to quickly restore compromised sites. Additionally, administrators should enforce the principle of least privilege by limiting administrative access to only trusted users and implementing multi-factor authentication to reduce the impact of potential credential compromise. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of input validation and output escaping in web applications, particularly in administrative interfaces where elevated privileges can be exploited to cause significant damage to the entire system.