CVE-2018-11568 in GamePlan Theme
Summary
by MITRE
Reflected XSS is possible in the GamePlan theme through 1.5.13.2 for WordPress because of insufficient input sanitization, as demonstrated by the s parameter. In some (but not all) cases, the '<' and '>' characters have < and > representations.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/17/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-11568 represents a critical reflected cross-site scripting flaw within the GamePlan WordPress theme version 1.5.13.2 and earlier. This security weakness stems from inadequate input sanitization practices that fail to properly validate and escape user-supplied data before rendering it within the web application's response. The vulnerability specifically manifests through the s parameter, which serves as an entry point for malicious actors to inject harmful script code into the application's output. The reflected nature of this vulnerability means that the malicious payload must be crafted to appear in the application's response, typically through links or forms that include the vulnerable parameter in their URL structure.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a classic XSS attack vector where user input flows directly into the HTML output without proper sanitization or encoding. The vulnerability's behavior shows that while some characters like '<' and '>' are being converted to their HTML entity representations < and > respectively, this protection is inconsistent and incomplete. This partial sanitization creates a false sense of security while leaving the application vulnerable to exploitation through other character combinations or encoding methods that bypass the incomplete filtering mechanism. The vulnerability falls under CWE-79 which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting flaws in software applications, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203 for Exploitation for Client Execution, where adversaries leverage web-based vulnerabilities to execute malicious code in user browsers.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or session hijacking, as it can enable attackers to perform a wide range of malicious activities including but not limited to credential theft, defacement of the affected website, redirection to malicious sites, and establishment of persistent backdoors through more sophisticated attack vectors. When exploited successfully, this vulnerability allows attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code that executes in the context of other users' browsers, potentially compromising their sessions and sensitive information. The vulnerability's scope is particularly concerning for WordPress environments where the GamePlan theme is installed, as it affects not only the theme's functionality but also the broader security posture of the entire WordPress installation. The inconsistent handling of character encoding and sanitization creates multiple attack surfaces that could be leveraged by threat actors to bypass security controls.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the affected application. The most effective approach involves implementing comprehensive sanitization of all user-supplied input parameters including the s parameter, ensuring that all potentially dangerous characters are properly escaped or filtered before inclusion in HTML output. Organizations should implement Content Security Policy headers to add an additional layer of protection against XSS attacks, while also considering the implementation of automatic input validation libraries or frameworks that can handle common XSS patterns. Regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other parts of the application stack, and developers should follow secure coding practices such as those outlined in the OWASP Secure Coding Practices to prevent similar issues from occurring in future development cycles. The vulnerability also underscores the importance of keeping all WordPress themes and plugins updated to their latest versions, as this specific issue was resolved in subsequent releases of the GamePlan theme.