CVE-2018-5664 in responsive-coming-soon-page Plugin
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in the responsive-coming-soon-page plugin 1.1.18 for WordPress. XSS exists via the wp-admin/admin.php social_icon_1 parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/30/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-5664 resides within the responsive-coming-soon-page plugin version 1.1.18 for WordPress, representing a cross-site scripting flaw that enables unauthorized code execution through malicious input manipulation. This issue specifically affects the administrative interface of WordPress installations where the plugin is active, creating a potential attack vector that could be exploited by malicious actors to compromise the affected systems.
The technical flaw manifests through the improper handling of the social_icon_1 parameter within the wp-admin/admin.php endpoint of the vulnerable plugin. When administrators or users with sufficient privileges navigate to the plugin's administrative settings page, the parameter value is not adequately sanitized or escaped before being rendered in the web page output. This failure to implement proper input validation and output encoding creates a condition where malicious JavaScript code can be injected and subsequently executed within the browser context of authenticated users.
This vulnerability operates under the Common Weakness Enumeration classification of CWE-79, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting flaws in web applications. The issue falls into the category of stored XSS when the malicious input is persisted in the application's database and subsequently displayed to other users. The operational impact extends beyond simple data theft as attackers could leverage this vulnerability to perform session hijacking, deface the website, or redirect users to malicious domains. The attack requires minimal privileges since it targets the administrative interface, making it particularly dangerous for WordPress sites where administrators frequently access the backend.
The security implications of CVE-2018-5664 align with tactics and techniques documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the T1059.007 category, which covers 'Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript'. Attackers could utilize this vulnerability to establish persistent access through malicious scripts that execute in the context of the victim's browser session. The impact is exacerbated by the fact that WordPress administrators typically possess elevated privileges, making successful exploitation potentially catastrophic for the entire website infrastructure and its associated data.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate patching of the responsive-coming-soon-page plugin to the latest version where the XSS flaw has been addressed. System administrators must also implement proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout their WordPress installations, particularly within administrative interfaces. Additional protective measures include implementing content security policies to restrict script execution, regular security audits of installed plugins, and monitoring for unusual administrative activities. Organizations should also consider network segmentation and privilege separation to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date WordPress core installations and plugins, as well as the necessity of implementing robust security monitoring practices to detect and respond to potential exploitation attempts.