CVE-2018-0576 in Events Manager Plugin
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting vulnerability in Events Manager plugin prior to version 5.9 for WordPress allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/08/2024
The CVE-2018-0576 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Events Manager plugin for WordPress systems. This vulnerability affects versions prior to 5.9 and exposes web applications to remote code execution risks through malicious script injection. The flaw resides in the plugin's handling of user input without proper sanitization or validation mechanisms, creating an exploitable entry point for attackers to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code within the context of affected websites.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation within the Events Manager plugin's core functionality. Attackers can leverage this weakness by crafting malicious payloads that exploit unspecified vectors within the plugin's processing logic. These vectors typically involve user-submitted data that gets rendered back to other users without proper escaping or encoding mechanisms. The vulnerability manifests when the plugin fails to properly sanitize data that flows through its event management features, including event descriptions, titles, or other user-editable fields that may contain HTML content.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to WordPress websites utilizing the Events Manager plugin. Remote attackers can exploit the XSS flaw to inject malicious scripts that execute in the browsers of unsuspecting users who visit affected pages. This could lead to session hijacking, credential theft, defacement of website content, or redirection to malicious sites. The impact extends beyond simple data corruption as attackers can leverage the persistent nature of XSS vulnerabilities to maintain long-term access to compromised systems. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications, making it a well-documented and dangerous security weakness.
The exploitation of CVE-2018-0576 can be categorized under ATT&CK technique T1059.007 which covers scripting languages including JavaScript. Attackers typically deploy this vulnerability as part of broader attack chains, using the XSS capability to establish persistent access or to escalate privileges within compromised environments. The vulnerability affects organizations that rely heavily on event management functionality within their WordPress installations, particularly those with user-generated content features or community-driven event submission systems.
Security mitigation strategies for this vulnerability include immediate patching to version 5.9 or later of the Events Manager plugin, which contains the necessary input sanitization fixes. Organizations should implement comprehensive content security policies that include proper HTML escaping and encoding of all user-generated content. Regular security audits and input validation testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities within other plugins or custom code. Additionally, implementing web application firewalls and monitoring systems can help detect and prevent exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of keeping third-party WordPress plugins updated and following security best practices for input handling and output encoding.