Smart Google Code Inserter < 3.5 - Stored Cross-Site Scripting
Strategic Overview
- Status
- Patched in 3.5
- Affected Plugin
- Smart Google Code Inserter
- Affected Version
< 3.5- CVSS
- 7.2High
- Weakness type
- CWE-79 · Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')
- CVE
CVE-2018-3810
At a glance
CVE-2018-3810 is a high-severity Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') vulnerability in the Smart Google Code Inserter WordPress plugin, affecting versions < 3.5. It carries a CVSS score of 7.2 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity). Exploitation requires no authentication. The issue is fixed in version 3.5; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed January 2018, reported by Benjamin Lim.
Vulnerability Overview
Authentication Bypass vulnerability in the Oturia Smart Google Code Inserter plugin before 3.5 for WordPress allows unauthenticated attackers to insert arbitrary JavaScript or HTML code (via the sgcgoogleanalytic parameter) that runs on all pages served by WordPress. The saveGoogleCode() function in smartgooglecode.php does not check if the current request is made by an authorized user, thus allowing any unauthenticated user to successfully update the inserted code.
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, and no interaction from a victim user.
CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')
Smart Google Code Inserter < 3.5 carries this weakness at saveGoogleCode(), and reaching it 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 Smart Google Code Inserter the fix is 3.5: builds < 3.5 are affected, anything from 3.5 onward is not.
Remediation
Update to version 3.5, or a newer patched version
How does WordSec protect against this?
The attempt arrives as an ordinary request to Smart Google Code Inserter: WordSec's web application firewall inspects request payloads before WordPress loads them. None of that substitutes for the fix: Smart Google Code Inserter 3.5 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.
- Firewall
- Alerts
External References
Related records
Other vulnerabilities in Smart Google Code Inserter
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