CVE-2019-15331 in wp-support-plus-responsive-ticket-system Plugin
Summary
by MITRE
The wp-support-plus-responsive-ticket-system plugin before 9.1.2 for WordPress has HTML injection.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/01/2023
The wp-support-plus-responsive-ticket-system plugin for WordPress contains a critical HTML injection vulnerability that affects versions prior to 9.1.2. This vulnerability resides in the plugin's handling of user-supplied input within ticket creation and management interfaces, where insufficient output sanitization allows malicious actors to inject arbitrary HTML content into the application's response. The flaw manifests when users submit tickets or interact with support system components, enabling attackers to manipulate the HTML structure of web pages displayed to other users.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding practices within the plugin's backend processing logic. When user-provided data is rendered back to the browser without proper sanitization, attackers can inject malicious HTML tags, scripts, or other content that gets executed in the context of other users' browsers. This creates a persistent cross-site scripting vector that can be exploited across different user sessions and browser contexts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and represents a classic example of improper output escaping in web applications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple HTML injection, as it can enable more sophisticated attacks including session hijacking, credential theft, and redirection to malicious sites. Attackers can craft malicious ticket content that, when viewed by administrators or other users, executes unauthorized code in their browsers. This allows for privilege escalation scenarios where attackers can access administrative functions or steal session cookies. The vulnerability can be exploited through various attack vectors including direct injection into ticket fields, attachment handling, or comment sections within the support system. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter and T1566.001 for spearphishing attachment, as attackers can leverage the injected HTML to deliver additional payloads or phishing content.
Organizations running affected versions of the wp-support-plus-responsive-ticket-system plugin face significant security risks, particularly in environments where support ticket systems handle sensitive customer information or administrative functions. The vulnerability can be exploited by unauthenticated attackers who simply need to submit malicious content through the public ticket submission interface. Mitigation strategies include immediate upgrading to version 9.1.2 or later, which contains proper input sanitization and output encoding measures. Additionally, administrators should implement network-level protections such as web application firewalls, regular security scanning of WordPress installations, and monitoring for suspicious ticket submissions. The patch addresses the root cause by implementing comprehensive input validation and HTML escaping mechanisms that prevent malicious content from being rendered as executable code in user browsers.