CVE-2014-125091 in cp-polls Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 03/04/2023
A vulnerability has been found in codepeople cp-polls Plugin 1.0.1 and classified as critical. This vulnerability affects unknown code of the file cp-admin-int-message-list.inc.php. The manipulation of the argument lu leads to sql injection. The attack can be initiated remotely. Upgrading to version 1.0.2 is able to address this issue. The name of the patch is 6d7168cbf12d1c183bacc5cd5678f6f5b0d518d2. It is recommended to upgrade the affected component. The identifier of this vulnerability is VDB-222268.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/31/2023
This vulnerability exists in the codepeople cp-polls plugin version 1.0.1 where a critical sql injection flaw has been identified in the cp-admin-int-message-list.inc.php file. The vulnerability is triggered through manipulation of the lu argument parameter, which allows an attacker to execute arbitrary sql commands against the underlying database. The flaw represents a classic sql injection vulnerability that can be exploited remotely without requiring any authentication or privileged access. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-89 category, which specifically addresses sql injection attacks where untrusted data is incorporated into sql queries without proper sanitization or parameterization. The remote exploit capability makes this vulnerability particularly dangerous as attackers can target the system from outside the network perimeter.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it provides attackers with unauthorized access to the database containing poll data and potentially user information. An attacker could extract sensitive data, modify poll results, delete entries, or even escalate privileges within the database system. The vulnerability affects the administrative interface of the plugin, which means that successful exploitation could allow for complete compromise of the poll management functionality. According to the ATT&CK framework, this represents a privilege escalation and defense evasion technique where the attacker leverages the sql injection to gain deeper access to the system. The vulnerability's critical classification indicates that it can be easily exploited and has significant potential for damage.
The specific technical flaw occurs in the cp-admin-int-message-list.inc.php file where the lu argument parameter is directly incorporated into sql queries without proper input validation or sanitization. This allows an attacker to inject malicious sql code that gets executed by the database server. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects the administrative component of the plugin, meaning that even if the plugin is only used for polls, the attacker could potentially access other sensitive data stored in the same database. The patch provided with version 1.0.2 addresses this issue through proper input sanitization and parameterized query construction, which prevents the injection of malicious sql code.
Security professionals should immediately implement the upgrade to version 1.0.2 to remediate this vulnerability as recommended by the vendor. The patch identified by the hash 6d7168cbf12d1c183bacc5cd5678f6f5b0d518d2 contains the necessary code modifications to prevent sql injection attacks. Organizations should also implement additional security measures such as web application firewalls to monitor for suspicious sql injection patterns and conduct regular security assessments of their wordpress installations. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the importance of keeping all plugins and themes updated, as outdated components often contain known vulnerabilities that can be easily exploited by threat actors. Network monitoring should be enhanced to detect potential exploitation attempts, and access controls should be reviewed to ensure that only authorized users can access the administrative interfaces where this vulnerability resides.