CVE-2018-20965 in ultimate-member Plugin
Summary
by MITRE
The ultimate-member plugin before 2.0.4 for WordPress has XSS.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/23/2023
The CVE-2018-20965 vulnerability represents a cross-site scripting flaw discovered in the ultimate-member WordPress plugin version 2.0.3 and earlier. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is a critical security weakness that allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into web applications. The ultimate-member plugin serves as a comprehensive user management solution for WordPress sites, providing features such as user registration, profile management, and membership handling. The XSS vulnerability specifically affects the plugin's handling of user input within the WordPress admin dashboard and frontend interfaces.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input sanitization and output escaping within the plugin's codebase. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious payloads that get executed when other users view affected pages or interact with the plugin's functionality. The vulnerability occurs when user-provided data is not properly validated or escaped before being rendered in web pages, allowing malicious scripts to be injected and executed in the context of other users' browsers. This particular flaw affects the plugin's user profile management and registration forms, where unfiltered input can be stored and subsequently displayed without proper security measures.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-20965 extends beyond simple script execution, as it can lead to serious consequences including session hijacking, credential theft, and unauthorized access to user accounts. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can potentially escalate privileges, modify user data, or gain access to sensitive information stored within the WordPress site. The attack surface is particularly concerning because the ultimate-member plugin is widely used across various WordPress installations, making it an attractive target for automated exploitation. The vulnerability can be leveraged to execute malicious JavaScript code that may redirect users to phishing sites, steal authentication cookies, or perform actions on behalf of authenticated users.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily involve upgrading to the patched version 2.0.4 or later of the ultimate-member plugin, which implements proper input validation and output escaping mechanisms. Security practitioners should also implement additional defensive measures such as Content Security Policy headers, regular security audits of WordPress plugins, and monitoring for suspicious user activity. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and output encoding practices, which are fundamental principles outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and the CWE taxonomy. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and maintaining up-to-date security monitoring tools to detect and prevent exploitation attempts. Regular patch management processes and security awareness training for administrators are essential components of a comprehensive defense strategy against such vulnerabilities.