CVE-2018-17866 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

A security vulnerability has been identified in the "Ultimate Member - User Profile & Membership" plugin for WordPress, allowing remote attackers to execute cross-site scripting attacks.

Understanding CVE-2018-17866

This CVE involves multiple cross-site scripting vulnerabilities in the plugin.

What is CVE-2018-17866?

The vulnerability exists in the "Ultimate Member - User Profile & Membership" plugin version prior to 2.0.28 for WordPress, enabling remote attackers to inject malicious scripts or HTML via specific input fields.

The Impact of CVE-2018-17866

The vulnerability can be exploited by attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML through the affected input fields, posing a risk of unauthorized access or data manipulation.

Technical Details of CVE-2018-17866

This section provides detailed technical insights into the CVE.

Vulnerability Description

The flaw resides in includes/core/um-actions-login.php, allowing attackers to perform cross-site scripting attacks.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: Ultimate Member - User Profile & Membership plugin
Vendor: N/A
Versions Affected: Versions earlier than 2.0.28

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit the vulnerability by injecting malicious scripts or HTML through the "Primary button Text" or "Second button text" fields.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protect your systems from CVE-2018-17866 with the following measures:

Immediate Steps to Take

Update the plugin to version 2.0.28 or later.
Regularly monitor for security advisories and patches.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implement input validation and output encoding to prevent XSS attacks.
Conduct regular security audits and penetration testing.

Patching and Updates

Stay informed about security updates for the plugin.
Apply patches promptly to mitigate the risk of exploitation.