CVE-2017-2147 in WP Statistics
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting vulnerability in WP Statistics version 12.0.4 and earlier allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/22/2020
The CVE-2017-2147 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw identified in WP Statistics plugin versions 12.0.4 and earlier, exposing WordPress websites to significant security risks. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, specifically categorized as a weakness in web applications that fail to properly validate or escape user-supplied input before rendering it in web pages. The vulnerability exists within the WordPress ecosystem where WP Statistics, a popular analytics plugin, fails to adequately sanitize data inputs that are subsequently displayed to users, creating an exploitable condition that can be leveraged by remote attackers.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through unspecified vectors that likely involve user input fields or parameters within the WP Statistics plugin interface. Attackers can craft malicious scripts or HTML content that gets executed in the context of other users' browsers when they view pages containing the vulnerable plugin output. This typically happens when user-provided data is directly inserted into web pages without proper sanitization or encoding mechanisms, allowing attackers to inject malicious payloads that can steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or perform actions on behalf of authenticated users. The vulnerability's impact is amplified by the fact that WP Statistics is widely used across WordPress installations, making it an attractive target for automated exploitation campaigns.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to establish persistent footholds within compromised WordPress environments. When exploited successfully, the XSS vulnerability can facilitate more severe attacks such as session hijacking, where attackers steal user authentication tokens to gain unauthorized access to administrative panels or user accounts. Additionally, the vulnerability can be leveraged to deliver malware through drive-by downloads, manipulate website content, or redirect users to phishing sites designed to capture credentials. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that many WordPress sites rely on analytics plugins like WP Statistics to track user behavior and website performance, making the exploitation vectors more prevalent and harder to detect.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-2147 should prioritize immediate patching of the WP Statistics plugin to version 12.0.5 or later, which contains the necessary security fixes. System administrators should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout their WordPress installations, ensuring that all user-supplied data is properly sanitized before being rendered in web pages. Network monitoring solutions should be configured to detect anomalous traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, while web application firewalls can provide additional layers of protection by filtering malicious payloads. The vulnerability's classification under ATT&CK technique T1059.002 for command and scripting interpreter provides guidance for threat detection, as attackers often use scripting languages to execute malicious code through XSS vulnerabilities. Regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other plugins and themes, as the attack surface for such vulnerabilities is often broader than initially apparent. Organizations should also implement proper security awareness training for administrators to recognize potential exploitation indicators and maintain up-to-date security practices across their WordPress environments.