CVE-2019-17233 Scanner

WordPress Ultimate FAQs is a popular plugin used by website administrators to easily manage frequently asked questions within their WordPress sites. Developed by Etoile Web Design, this plugin allows users to build comprehensive FAQ sections that can be categorized and tagged for optimal user experience. The plugin is widely adopted due to its ease of use and integration with WordPress, making it a go-to solution for websites seeking to enhance their customer support information. Regular updates and active community engagement make it a reliable and user-friendly choice for WordPress users worldwide. By providing a streamlined process for importing FAQ content, it allows site owners to efficiently manage and display crucial information to their visitors.

The vulnerability in focus is a Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) issue affecting the Ultimate FAQs plugin for WordPress. It enables unauthenticated attackers to inject HTML content via the import function, specifically within the FAQs spreadsheet feature. This vulnerability presents significant security challenges as malicious scripts can be executed by unsuspecting users who visit a compromised page. The flaw is due to improper validation of input data, which could be manipulated to include harmful scripts. As a result, any site running a vulnerable version of this plugin could face severe security risks. Mitigating this vulnerability requires urgent attention to prevent potential exploits.

In this vulnerability, the endpoint '/wp-admin/admin.php?page=EWD-UFAQ-Options&DisplayPage=ImportPosts&Action=EWD_UFAQ_ImportFaqsFromSpreadsheet' is the primary focus of the attack. The plugin fails to properly sanitize imported FAQ files, allowing harmful HTML tags or scripts to be included. An attacker can prepare a specially-crafted CSV file that contains script elements, which upon being processed by the plugin's import feature, can result in XSS. This makes the function hazardous if left without patching, as attackers don't need any authentication to leverage it. The end goal of the attack is to redirect users or steal sensitive information by injecting links or scripts into FAQ answers.

Exploiting this vulnerability can lead to severe repercussions, such as unauthorized content modification or visitor redirection to malicious websites. If an attacker successfully injects scripts, they could perform actions as the affected user, like stealing authentication tokens or phishing for personal data. This could not only compromise individual user accounts but also tarnish the reputation of the affected website. Websites could experience a loss in user trust, and in worse scenarios, face penalties from regulators if user data protection is compromised. It's critical for site administrators to patch this vulnerability to secure their sites.

REFERENCES

• https://blog.nintechnet.com/unauthenticated-options-import-vulnerability-in-wordpress-ultimate-faq-plugin/
• https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-17233