CVE-2015-9416

WPML 2.9.3-3.2.6 - Cross-Site Scripting in Accept-Language Header

2015-09-02 00:00

Strategic Overview

Status: Patched in 3.2.7
Affected Plugin: WPML Multilingual CMS
Affected Version: 2.9.3 – 3.2.6
CVSS: 6.1Medium
Weakness type: CWE-79 · Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')
CVE: CVE-2015-9416

View all WPML Multilingual CMS vulnerabilities

At a glance

CVE-2015-9416 is a medium-severity Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') vulnerability in the WPML Multilingual CMS WordPress plugin, affecting versions 2.9.3 – 3.2.6. It carries a CVSS score of 6.1 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity). Exploitation requires no authentication. The issue is fixed in version 3.2.7; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed September 2015.

Vulnerability Overview

The sitepress-multilingual-cms (WPML) plugin 2.9.3 to 3.2.6 for WordPress has XSS via the Accept-Language HTTP header.

Technical Analysis

The vector marks this flaw as remotely reachable over the network, with low attack complexity — no special timing or configuration is needed, and no privileges on the target site.

CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')

Reaching this weakness in WPML Multilingual CMS 2.9.3 – 3.2.6 takes a caller who can reach the endpoint. Cross-site scripting happens when input from a request is written into a page without being escaped for the context it lands in, so the browser parses attacker-supplied text as markup or script.

Injected script runs with the privileges of whoever views the affected page, which is how these flaws turn into administrator session theft, silent account creation or persistent backdoors in page content. For WPML Multilingual CMS the fix is 3.2.7: builds 2.9.3 – 3.2.6 are affected, anything from 3.2.7 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 3.2.7, or a newer patched version

How does WordSec protect against this?

The attempt arrives as an ordinary request to WPML Multilingual CMS: WordSec's web application firewall inspects request payloads before WordPress loads them. None of that substitutes for the fix: WPML Multilingual CMS 3.2.7 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

Firewall
Alerts

External References

https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2015-9416 https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/066b3b77-7888-4037-b443-a3c6fb540cf7 https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2015-9416

Related records

Same weakness class

Other vulnerabilities in WPML Multilingual CMS

CVSS Vector

6.1

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N

Base

Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges RequiredNone
User InteractionRequired
ScopeChanged
ConfidentialityLow
IntegrityLow
AvailabilityNone

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