CVE-2011-3130 in WordPress
Summary
by MITRE
wp-includes/taxonomy.php in WordPress 3.1 before 3.1.3 and 3.2 before Beta 2 has unknown impact and attack vectors related to "Taxonomy query hardening," possibly involving SQL injection.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/17/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-3130 resides within the WordPress content management system's taxonomy handling functionality, specifically in the wp-includes/taxonomy.php file. This issue affects WordPress versions 3.1 before 3.1.3 and 3.2 before Beta 2, representing a critical security gap that could potentially allow attackers to manipulate database queries through improper input validation. The vulnerability's classification as having "unknown impact and attack vectors" suggests that the exact nature of exploitation was not fully understood at the time of reporting, though the underlying issue points to insufficient query hardening mechanisms. The taxonomy system in WordPress is responsible for managing categories, tags, and custom taxonomies, making it a crucial component for content organization and retrieval.
The technical flaw manifests in the insufficient sanitization and validation of user-supplied parameters within taxonomy queries, creating potential pathways for SQL injection attacks. While the exact attack vectors remain unspecified in the initial description, the vulnerability's nature suggests that malicious input could be directly incorporated into database queries without proper escaping or parameterization. This weakness likely stems from inadequate input filtering mechanisms that should have been implemented to prevent unauthorized database access or manipulation. The vulnerability's classification under taxonomy query hardening indicates that the system failed to properly validate or escape input parameters that are used to construct dynamic SQL statements, which is a fundamental security principle in database interaction.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft, potentially allowing attackers to execute arbitrary database commands, extract sensitive information, modify content, or even escalate privileges within the WordPress environment. Given that taxonomy queries are fundamental to WordPress's content management operations, an exploitation of this vulnerability could compromise the entire site's integrity and potentially affect multiple user accounts and their associated data. The lack of specific attack vector information makes this vulnerability particularly dangerous as defenders cannot properly prepare or test against known exploitation patterns. Organizations running affected WordPress versions face significant risk of unauthorized access, data breaches, and potential complete system compromise, especially when the taxonomy system is heavily utilized for content management operations.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2011-3130 should prioritize immediate patching to WordPress versions 3.1.3 or 3.2 Beta 2 where the vulnerability has been addressed. System administrators should implement comprehensive input validation measures at all levels of the application, particularly for parameters used in database queries. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-89, which describes SQL injection flaws, and represents a classic example of improper input validation that creates opportunities for database manipulation. Security practitioners should also consider implementing database query monitoring and logging to detect potential exploitation attempts, as well as applying web application firewalls to filter suspicious input patterns. Additionally, the incident highlights the importance of following secure coding practices such as parameterized queries and input sanitization, which are fundamental requirements in the OWASP Top Ten and NIST Cybersecurity Framework. Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses in other components of the WordPress installation. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of timely patch management and proper input validation in preventing database-level attacks that could compromise entire web applications.