CVE-2013-6797 in Blue Wrench Video Widget
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in bluewrench-video-widget.php in the Blue Wrench Video Widget plugin before 2.0.0 for WordPress allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of administrators for requests that embed arbitrary URLs via the bw_url parameter in the bw-videos page to wp-admin/admin.php, as demonstrated by embedding a URL to a JavaScript file.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/02/2025
The CVE-2013-6797 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw in the Blue Wrench Video Widget WordPress plugin, affecting versions prior to 2.0.0. This vulnerability operates within the context of web application security where legitimate administrative sessions can be exploited by malicious actors to perform unauthorized actions. The flaw specifically manifests in the bluewrench-video-widget.php file, which processes user input through the bw_url parameter without adequate validation or authentication checks. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it targets the administrative interface of WordPress, allowing attackers to manipulate the plugin's functionality through carefully crafted requests that appear to originate from authenticated administrators.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from the plugin's failure to implement proper anti-CSRF mechanisms when processing the bw_url parameter. When administrators navigate to the bw-videos page within the wp-admin/admin.php interface, the plugin accepts external URLs through the bw_url parameter and embeds them without sufficient verification of the request source or user intent. This lack of input sanitization creates a pathway for attackers to craft malicious requests that, when executed by an authenticated administrator, can result in the execution of arbitrary code from external JavaScript files. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses cross-site request forgery conditions where insufficient validation of request authenticity allows unauthorized operations to be performed on behalf of authenticated users.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or modification, as it provides attackers with the capability to execute arbitrary JavaScript code within the context of an administrator's session. This presents a significant risk of complete system compromise, as administrators possess elevated privileges and can perform actions such as modifying plugin configurations, accessing sensitive data, or even installing malicious plugins. The attack vector is particularly insidious because it requires no direct authentication from the attacker, instead leveraging the administrator's existing session to perform malicious activities. This vulnerability directly maps to ATT&CK technique T1548.002, which involves the use of legitimate credentials to perform privilege escalation or lateral movement within a compromised system.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2013-6797 must focus on immediate plugin updates to version 2.0.0 or later, which contain the necessary CSRF protection mechanisms. Administrators should implement additional security measures including the use of nonce tokens for all administrative actions, proper input validation of all user-supplied parameters, and regular security audits of installed plugins. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper session management and request verification in web applications, particularly those handling administrative functions. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious parameter manipulation attempts, as well as maintaining comprehensive monitoring of administrative activities to quickly identify potential exploitation attempts. Regular security updates and patch management processes are essential to prevent exploitation of similar vulnerabilities in other plugins or core WordPress components.