CVE-2018-0547 in WP All Import Plugin
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting vulnerability in WP All Import plugin prior to version 3.4.7 for WordPress allows an attacker to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/21/2023
The CVE-2018-0547 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the WP All Import plugin for WordPress systems. This vulnerability affects versions prior to 3.4.7 and exposes WordPress installations to potential exploitation through unspecified attack vectors that allow malicious actors to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML content. The WP All Import plugin serves as a powerful tool for importing data into WordPress sites, making it a prime target for attackers seeking to compromise WordPress environments. The vulnerability specifically resides in the plugin's handling of user-supplied input during the import process, where inadequate sanitization and validation mechanisms fail to properly filter malicious content before it gets processed or displayed within the WordPress admin interface or frontend.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which describes cross-site scripting flaws occurring when untrusted data is improperly incorporated into web pages without proper validation or encoding. The flaw demonstrates a classic input validation weakness where the plugin fails to adequately sanitize data before rendering it within the browser context. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability by crafting malicious import files containing script tags or other HTML elements that execute when the imported data is displayed. The unspecified vectors suggest that the vulnerability may exist across multiple input points within the plugin's import functionality, potentially including file upload handlers, data mapping interfaces, or import preview mechanisms. This broad attack surface increases the likelihood of successful exploitation as attackers can target various entry points within the plugin's architecture.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to WordPress site administrators and end users. Successful exploitation allows attackers to execute arbitrary scripts within the context of authenticated users' browsers, potentially leading to session hijacking, data theft, or unauthorized modifications to the WordPress installation. The attack could result in persistent XSS payloads that remain active until the affected plugin is updated or the compromised session expires. Additionally, attackers might leverage this vulnerability to establish backdoors, steal administrator credentials, or inject malicious content that affects all users of the compromised site. The vulnerability particularly impacts sites using WP All Import for regular data imports, as the attack surface expands with each import operation, creating multiple opportunities for exploitation.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-0547 primarily focus on immediate plugin updates to version 3.4.7 or later, which contain the necessary patches addressing the XSS vulnerabilities. System administrators should implement comprehensive monitoring of import activities and maintain detailed logs of all import operations to detect potential exploitation attempts. Network-level defenses including web application firewalls and content filtering systems can provide additional protection layers, though they should not be considered substitutes for proper patch management. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of implementing least privilege principles for import operations, limiting administrative access to import functionality and regularly reviewing user permissions. Organizations should conduct thorough security assessments of their WordPress installations, particularly focusing on third-party plugins that handle user data or provide import capabilities, as these components often represent significant attack vectors. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1059.007 for script injection techniques and T1566 for social engineering through malicious content, emphasizing the multi-faceted nature of the threat landscape surrounding this particular flaw.