CVE-2018-1002003 in Arigato Autoresponder
Summary
by MITRE
There is a reflected XSS vulnerability in WordPress Arigato Autoresponder and News letter v2.5.1.8 This vulnerability requires administrative privileges to exploit.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/16/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-1002003 represents a reflected cross-site scripting flaw within the WordPress Arigato Autoresponder and News letter plugin version 2.5.1.8. This security weakness resides in the plugin's handling of user input within the administrative interface, specifically affecting the newsletter management functionality. The vulnerability manifests when maliciously crafted input is reflected back to administrators who are logged into the WordPress dashboard, creating a potential attack vector for unauthorized code execution within the context of the administrator's session.
This reflected XSS vulnerability operates through the manipulation of HTTP request parameters that are not properly sanitized or validated before being rendered in the web interface. The attack requires an administrator to be tricked into clicking a malicious link or visiting a compromised page that contains the malicious payload. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it targets the administrative interface where privileged users have elevated permissions, potentially allowing attackers to execute arbitrary code, steal session cookies, or modify critical system configurations. The flaw falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, specifically classified as reflected XSS where input data is immediately reflected back to the user without proper sanitization.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution as it provides attackers with a potential pathway to escalate privileges and compromise the entire WordPress installation. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could gain administrative control over the WordPress site, potentially leading to complete system compromise, data exfiltration, or the deployment of malicious content. The requirement for administrative privileges to exploit the vulnerability means that social engineering or phishing attacks would likely be necessary to lure administrators into executing the malicious payload, but once successful, the consequences could be severe. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter and T1566.001 for Phishing, as it requires user interaction to deliver the malicious payload.
The remediation strategy for this vulnerability involves immediate patching of the affected WordPress plugin to version 2.5.1.9 or later, which contains the necessary security fixes. System administrators should also implement additional security measures including regular security audits of installed plugins, implementing web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious requests, and conducting security training for administrators to recognize phishing attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of keeping WordPress plugins updated and maintaining a robust security posture, as outdated plugins represent one of the most common attack vectors for WordPress sites. Organizations should also consider implementing Content Security Policy headers to mitigate the impact of reflected XSS vulnerabilities even when other defenses fail, as this provides an additional layer of protection against malicious script execution within the browser context.