CVE-2012-4422 in WordPress
Summary
by MITRE
wp-admin/plugins.php in WordPress before 3.4.2, when the multisite feature is enabled, does not check for network-administrator privileges before performing a network-wide activation of an installed plugin, which might allow remote authenticated users to make unintended plugin changes by leveraging the Administrator role.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/21/2019
The vulnerability described in CVE-2012-4422 represents a critical privilege escalation flaw within WordPress core functionality that specifically affects multisite installations. This issue exists in the wp-admin/plugins.php file and manifests when the multisite feature is enabled, creating a dangerous gap in the permission model that allows authenticated users to bypass intended security controls. The vulnerability stems from the absence of proper network administrator privilege validation during network-wide plugin activation operations, effectively undermining the security boundaries that should separate different user roles within a multisite environment. This flaw enables attackers with administrator-level access to a specific site within a multisite network to potentially manipulate plugins across the entire network without proper authorization.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs because WordPress fails to verify whether the requesting user possesses network administrator privileges when processing network-wide plugin activation requests. In a typical multisite configuration, network administrators have elevated permissions that allow them to manage plugins across all sites within the network, while regular site administrators should only have control over their specific site. However, the vulnerability allows a user with the administrator role on a single site to escalate their privileges and perform network-wide plugin operations that should be restricted to network-level administrators. This misconfiguration creates a pathway for privilege escalation attacks that can result in unauthorized plugin installations, modifications, or deactivations across the entire multisite network.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it can enable attackers to deploy malicious plugins, disable security plugins, or manipulate core functionality across multiple sites simultaneously. The implications are particularly severe in large multisite environments where network administrators may have different security requirements and trust levels than individual site administrators. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to maintain persistence across the network, install backdoors, or disrupt services by deactivating critical plugins. The vulnerability also creates potential for data exfiltration or system compromise if malicious plugins are installed through this unauthorized activation process, making it a significant concern for organizations relying on WordPress multisite configurations for enterprise-level deployments.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which describes improper access control issues, and represents a clear violation of the principle of least privilege in the WordPress security model. The flaw also maps to ATT&CK technique T1068, which involves exploiting vulnerabilities to gain elevated privileges, and T1548.002, which covers abuse of cloud platforms or services to maintain access. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including updating to WordPress version 3.4.2 or later, which addresses this specific privilege validation issue, and conducting thorough security audits of multisite configurations to ensure proper role assignments and privilege boundaries. Additional defensive measures include implementing role-based access controls, monitoring plugin activation events, and establishing network segmentation to limit the impact of potential privilege escalation attacks. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of proper privilege validation in complex multi-tenant systems and the need for comprehensive security testing of core application functionality that affects multiple user roles simultaneously.