CVE-2017-18491 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

The contact-form-plugin plugin for WordPress, version 4.0.6 or earlier, contains multiple Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities.

Understanding CVE-2017-18491

The CVE-2017-18491 vulnerability pertains to the contact-form-plugin for WordPress, specifically versions prior to 4.0.6, exposing users to XSS risks.

What is CVE-2017-18491?

The contact-form-plugin for WordPress, versions before 4.0.6, has multiple XSS vulnerabilities, allowing attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users.

The Impact of CVE-2017-18491

These XSS vulnerabilities can lead to unauthorized access, data theft, defacement, and other malicious activities on affected WordPress sites.

Technical Details of CVE-2017-18491

The technical aspects of the CVE-2017-18491 vulnerability are as follows:

Vulnerability Description

The contact-form-plugin for WordPress, versions prior to 4.0.6, is susceptible to multiple XSS issues, enabling attackers to execute arbitrary scripts in the context of a user's browser.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: contact-form-plugin
Vendor: WordPress
Versions affected: < 4.0.6

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit these vulnerabilities by injecting malicious scripts into input fields or parameters, which are then executed when unsuspecting users interact with the affected web pages.

Mitigation and Prevention

To address CVE-2017-18491 and enhance security measures, consider the following steps:

Immediate Steps to Take

Update the contact-form-plugin to version 4.0.6 or later to mitigate the XSS vulnerabilities.
Regularly monitor and audit user inputs and outputs to detect and prevent XSS attacks.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implement input validation and output encoding to sanitize user inputs and prevent script injection.
Educate users and administrators about XSS risks and best practices for secure coding.

Patching and Updates

Stay informed about security updates and patches released by WordPress and promptly apply them to ensure protection against known vulnerabilities.