StatCounter <= 2.1.1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)

Executive Summary

This vulnerability is a Cross Site Scripting (XSS) issue found in the WordPress StatCounter Plugin versions 2.1.1 and below.

It allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into websites by exploiting the plugin, potentially causing harmful effects such as redirects or unwanted advertisements.

The vulnerability requires a privileged user to perform an action, like clicking a malicious link, for the attack to succeed.

It has been fixed in version 2.1.2 of the plugin.

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Detection Guidance

The vulnerability affects WordPress StatCounter Plugin versions 2.1.1 and below. Detection involves verifying the installed plugin version to see if it is vulnerable.

You can check the plugin version on your WordPress site by navigating to the Plugins section in the WordPress admin dashboard or by using command line tools.

Suggested commands to detect the vulnerable version include:

• Using WP-CLI to check the plugin version: wp plugin list | grep statcounter
• Manually inspecting the plugin's main PHP file for the version number, e.g., grep 'Version' wp-content/plugins/statcounter/statcounter.php

If the version is 2.1.1 or below, the plugin is vulnerable to the described XSS issue.

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Impact Analysis

Exploitation of this vulnerability can lead to attackers injecting malicious scripts into your website.

• Redirecting users to malicious or unintended websites.
• Displaying unwanted advertisements or harmful HTML payloads.

Because the attack requires a privileged user to interact with a malicious link, it could compromise the integrity and security of your website if such an action occurs.

The CVSS score of 6.5 indicates a moderate risk, so timely updating to the patched version is recommended to mitigate these impacts.

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Compliance Impact

The provided information does not specify any direct impact of this vulnerability on compliance with common standards and regulations such as GDPR or HIPAA.

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Mitigation Strategies

The immediate step to mitigate this vulnerability is to update the WordPress StatCounter Plugin to version 2.1.2 or later, where the Cross Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability has been patched.

Additionally, Patchstack users can enable auto-updates for vulnerable plugins to ensure timely patching.

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