CVE-2018-11486 in Advance Search for WooCommerce Plugin
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in the MULTIDOTS Advance Search for WooCommerce plugin 1.0.9 and earlier for WordPress. This plugin is vulnerable to a stored Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability. A non-authenticated user can save the plugin settings and inject malicious JavaScript code in the Custom CSS textarea field, which will be loaded on every site page.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/11/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-11486 resides within the MULTIDOTS Advance Search for WooCommerce plugin version 1.0.9 and earlier, which operates within the WordPress ecosystem. This represents a critical security flaw that affects e-commerce websites utilizing this specific plugin, creating potential entry points for malicious actors to compromise user sessions and data integrity. The issue manifests as a stored cross-site scripting vulnerability that allows attackers to inject malicious code into the plugin's configuration settings, specifically within the Custom CSS textarea field, thereby enabling persistent malicious payloads across all site pages.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output sanitization within the plugin's settings management functionality. When a non-authenticated user accesses the plugin's configuration interface, they can submit malicious JavaScript code through the Custom CSS field without proper validation mechanisms. This code gets stored in the WordPress database and subsequently executed whenever any user visits pages that load the plugin's CSS or related functionality. The vulnerability is classified as a stored XSS attack because the malicious payload is permanently saved and executed against all users who access affected pages, rather than requiring immediate interaction with a specific malicious link or form submission.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risk for WordPress sites running the affected plugin, particularly those hosting e-commerce transactions and sensitive customer data. The stored nature of the XSS attack means that any visitor to the compromised site could be subjected to various malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, redirection to malicious sites, or data exfiltration. The vulnerability affects all pages where the plugin's CSS is loaded, potentially exposing customers and administrators to persistent threats. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to steal user sessions, modify site content, or redirect visitors to phishing sites, making it particularly dangerous for online businesses handling sensitive financial information.
The security implications extend beyond simple script execution, as this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which describes cross-site scripting flaws and maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.1001 for command and scripting interpreter. Organizations should implement immediate mitigation strategies including upgrading to the patched version of the plugin, implementing web application firewalls to detect and block malicious payloads, and conducting thorough security audits of all installed WordPress plugins. Additionally, administrators should consider implementing Content Security Policy headers to limit script execution and regularly monitor plugin update notifications to prevent similar vulnerabilities from being exploited in the future. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation and output encoding in web applications, particularly those handling user-supplied content in configuration interfaces.