CVE-2007-5229 in FeedSmith
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in the FeedBurner FeedSmith 2.2 plugin for WordPress allows remote attackers to change settings and hijack blog feeds via a request to wp-admin/options-general.php that submits parameter values to FeedBurner_FeedSmith_Plugin.php, as demonstrated by the (1) feedburner_url and (2) feedburner_comments_url parameters.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/09/2018
The CVE-2007-5229 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw discovered in the FeedBurner FeedSmith 2.2 plugin for WordPress platforms. This vulnerability exposes WordPress blogs to unauthorized modifications through maliciously crafted requests that can alter core feed settings without proper user consent or authentication. The flaw specifically targets the wp-admin/options-general.php endpoint which serves as the administrative interface for general blog settings, making it a prime target for attackers seeking to manipulate feed configurations. The vulnerability operates by exploiting the lack of proper CSRF protection mechanisms within the plugin's parameter handling system.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the FeedBurner FeedSmith plugin's failure to validate the authenticity of requests submitted to its configuration interface. Attackers can construct malicious requests that target the FeedBurner_FeedSmith_Plugin.php endpoint, specifically manipulating the feedburner_url and feedburner_comments_url parameters to redirect blog feeds to attacker-controlled locations. This allows adversaries to hijack feed distribution, potentially redirecting traffic to malicious sites or inserting unwanted content into feed readers. The vulnerability essentially permits unauthorized modification of feed settings through simple HTTP requests that appear legitimate to the WordPress administration interface.
The operational impact of this CSRF vulnerability extends beyond simple feed redirection, as it provides attackers with significant control over content distribution and user experience. When successful, the attack can result in complete hijacking of blog feeds, potentially leading to SEO manipulation, traffic redirection, and content poisoning. The compromised feed settings can affect thousands of subscribers who rely on the blog's RSS feeds for content consumption, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous for content publishers. Additionally, the attack can be executed without requiring authentication credentials, as the vulnerability exploits the trust relationship between the user's browser and the WordPress administration interface.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses in web applications, and demonstrates the importance of implementing proper request validation and anti-CSRF token mechanisms. The attack vector follows ATT&CK technique T1566.002, which covers the exploitation of web application vulnerabilities through CSRF attacks. Organizations using the FeedBurner FeedSmith plugin are particularly at risk since the vulnerability affects the core administrative functionality of WordPress installations, making it difficult to detect and remediate without proper security monitoring. The vulnerability's persistence in the WordPress ecosystem highlights the need for continuous security assessment and plugin validation.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate plugin updates from the vendor or complete removal of the affected FeedBurner FeedSmith 2.2 plugin from WordPress installations. System administrators should implement proper CSRF protection mechanisms including anti-CSRF tokens in all administrative forms and requests. Regular security audits of WordPress plugins and themes are essential to identify similar vulnerabilities, while implementing web application firewalls can help detect and block malicious CSRF requests. Additionally, maintaining up-to-date WordPress core installations and regularly monitoring administrative interfaces for unauthorized changes provides essential defense-in-depth measures against such attacks. The vulnerability underscores the critical importance of proper input validation and request authentication in web application security.