CVE-2007-1244 in WordPress
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in the AdminPanel in WordPress 2.1.1 and earlier allows remote attackers to perform privileged actions as administrators, as demonstrated using the delete action in wp-admin/post.php. NOTE: this issue can be leveraged to perform cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks and steal cookies via the post parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/09/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-1244 represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within WordPress 2.1.1 and earlier versions, specifically targeting the AdminPanel functionality. This CSRF vulnerability operates by exploiting the absence of proper validation mechanisms that would normally verify the authenticity of requests originating from legitimate administrative users. The flaw manifests in the wp-admin/post.php script where attackers can craft malicious requests that appear to come from authenticated administrators, thereby enabling unauthorized privilege escalation and administrative actions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from WordPress's failure to implement anti-CSRF tokens or similar validation mechanisms for privileged administrative operations. When administrators navigate to the post management interface, the system does not adequately verify that subsequent requests are genuinely initiated by the authenticated user. This allows remote attackers to construct carefully crafted web pages or emails containing malicious links that, when clicked by an authenticated administrator, execute unauthorized actions such as deleting posts or performing other administrative tasks without the user's knowledge or consent.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it provides attackers with a foundation for more sophisticated attacks including cross-site scripting exploitation and session hijacking. The vulnerability's demonstration through the delete action in wp-admin/post.php illustrates how attackers can manipulate the post parameter to execute unauthorized administrative functions. Additionally, the noted capability to leverage this vulnerability for XSS attacks and cookie theft demonstrates the cascading security implications that can arise from a single CSRF flaw.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses in software applications, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1531 for Establishing Persistence through Privilege Escalation. The lack of proper request validation creates an attack surface where malicious actors can impersonate legitimate users and perform administrative actions that would normally require explicit authentication and authorization. Organizations running vulnerable WordPress installations face significant risks including complete system compromise, data loss, and unauthorized content modification.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2007-1244 require immediate patching of WordPress installations to versions that implement proper CSRF protection mechanisms. Administrators should ensure all WordPress systems are updated to at least version 2.1.2 or later, which includes the necessary anti-CSRF token implementations. Additional protective measures include implementing web application firewalls, monitoring for suspicious administrative activities, and establishing proper network segmentation to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation attempts. Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments should be conducted to identify and remediate similar weaknesses in other web applications and frameworks.