WordPress My Chatbot Cross-Site Scripting Scanner

WordPress My Chatbot is a versatile plugin commonly used in WordPress websites for creating interactive chatbot functionality. It is primarily employed by website administrators who want to enhance user engagement and improve customer service on their platforms. The plugin can facilitate automated conversations, answer user queries, and provide customer support without the need for human intervention. Web developers and site owners use My Chatbot to build personalized bot experiences aligning with their specific branding and user interaction needs. Its configuration options allow users to set behavior and responses tailored to their website. As a result, My Chatbot is a popular choice among businesses and individuals alike for integrating chatbot functionality into WordPress sites.

The Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability identified in WordPress My Chatbot allows unauthorized users to inject malicious scripts into the application. This type of vulnerability typically arises when input fields do not properly sanitize or escape user inputs before rendering them on the web page. Malicious actors can exploit this flaw to execute arbitrary scripts in the browser of users who view the affected page. The consequences of such exploits include session hijacking, redirecting users to phishing sites, or spreading malware. Detecting and managing XSS vulnerabilities is critical, given their potential impact on user security and data integrity. This particular issue highlights the need for comprehensive input validation and output sanitization in web applications.

The vulnerability occurs specifically in the 'tab' parameter on the Settings page of the WordPress My Chatbot plugin. The lack of sanitization or escaping of this parameter allows an attacker to perform dangerous injects such as disabling security features or performing phishing attacks. The vulnerability is triggered when the application returns user-controlled data directly without encoding in an HTML attribute context. By submitting a crafted payload to this parameter, an attacker can ensure the execution of JavaScript in the context of another user. Consequently, attackers are capable of intercepting user data or executing commands unauthorizedly, bypassing typical restrictions of the web application's security architecture.

When exploited, this vulnerability can result in a compromise of the security objectives of confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Users' session tokens could be hijacked, enabling impersonation attacks where unauthorized users gain access to sensitive information or functionalities. The site could inadvertently distribute malicious content or harmful software to unsuspecting users, damaging the website's reputation. The presence of harmful scripts can also lead to defacement or unauthorized content modification, impacting users' trust and the overall user experience. Ensuring robust input validation and adopting a principle of least privilege can reduce exposure to such security threats.

REFERENCES

• https://wpscan.com/vulnerability/c0b6f63b-95d1-4782-9554-975d6d7bbd3d