CVE-2008-0198 in WordPress
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerabilities in wp-contact-form/options-contactform.php in the WP-ContactForm 1.5 alpha and earlier plugin for WordPress allow remote attackers to perform actions as administrators via the (1) wpcf_question, (2) wpcf_success_msg, or (3) wpcf_error_msg parameter to wp-admin/admin.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/09/2017
The CVE-2008-0198 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw discovered in the WP-ContactForm plugin for WordPress versions 1.5 alpha and earlier. This vulnerability resides within the options-contactform.php file and specifically affects the wp-admin/admin.php endpoint, creating a significant security risk for WordPress installations that utilize this plugin. The flaw enables remote attackers to manipulate administrative functions through carefully crafted malicious requests that exploit the lack of proper authentication checks on specific parameters.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from the plugin's failure to validate the authenticity of requests originating from authorized administrators. Attackers can exploit three distinct parameters within the wpcf_question, wpcf_success_msg, and wpcf_error_msg fields to manipulate the contact form configuration settings. These parameters are processed without adequate CSRF token verification or referer header validation, allowing malicious actors to craft HTTP requests that appear legitimate to the WordPress administrative interface. The vulnerability essentially permits unauthorized modification of contact form configurations, potentially leading to complete administrative compromise of affected WordPress installations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple configuration changes, as it provides attackers with the ability to perform administrative actions that could result in complete system compromise. An attacker could leverage this vulnerability to modify contact form settings, potentially redirecting form submissions to malicious endpoints or altering error handling mechanisms to hide malicious activities. The implications are particularly severe in environments where administrators regularly access the WordPress admin interface, as the attack can be executed through social engineering techniques or by embedding malicious links in compromised websites. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses cross-site request forgery weaknesses in web applications, and represents a classic example of how plugin vulnerabilities can create attack vectors that bypass core WordPress security mechanisms.
The mitigation strategies for this vulnerability involve immediate patching of the WP-ContactForm plugin to version 1.5 beta or later, which contains the necessary CSRF protection mechanisms. System administrators should also implement additional security measures including regular plugin updates, monitoring of administrative interfaces for unauthorized changes, and implementation of web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious parameter modifications. Organizations should also consider implementing Content Security Policy headers and ensuring proper CSRF token validation across all administrative endpoints. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and highlights how third-party plugins can introduce significant risks to WordPress environments when proper security controls are not implemented. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a privilege escalation technique through web application vulnerabilities, where attackers leverage weak session management and authentication mechanisms to gain elevated privileges within the target system.