CVE-2014-2550 in Disable Comments Plugin
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in the Disable Comments plugin before 1.0.4 for WordPress allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of administrators for requests that enable comments via a request to the disable_comments_settings page to wp-admin/options-general.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/05/2021
The CVE-2014-2550 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within the Disable Comments plugin for WordPress systems. This vulnerability exists in versions prior to 1.0.4 and creates a significant security risk by allowing remote attackers to exploit the authentication mechanisms of administrators. The flaw specifically targets the disable_comments_settings page located at wp-admin/options-general.php, which serves as the administrative interface for managing comment-related configurations within WordPress. The vulnerability stems from the plugin's failure to implement proper anti-CSRF measures, leaving administrators susceptible to unauthorized actions that could fundamentally alter the site's comment settings.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability exploits the fundamental weakness in WordPress's administrative authentication flow. When administrators access the disable_comments_settings page, the plugin does not validate the authenticity of requests originating from legitimate administrative sessions. Attackers can craft malicious requests that, when executed by an authenticated administrator, will modify the comment settings without the administrator's knowledge or consent. This occurs because the plugin relies on the existing authentication state rather than implementing additional verification mechanisms such as nonce tokens or referer checks. The vulnerability essentially allows attackers to perform administrative actions that would normally require explicit user confirmation, effectively bypassing the security controls that protect WordPress sites from unauthorized modifications.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-2550 extends beyond simple comment settings modification, as it represents a serious threat to WordPress site integrity and administrator control. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could enable comments on a site that previously had them disabled, potentially exposing the site to spam attacks, comment flooding, and other malicious activities. The implications are particularly severe because the Disable Comments plugin is commonly used to prevent unwanted comment functionality that could be exploited for various attack vectors including cross-site scripting, spam injection, and social engineering attacks. The vulnerability essentially undermines the security posture of sites that rely on this plugin to maintain their comment-free environment, creating potential entry points for further attacks and compromising the overall security architecture of WordPress installations.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses in software applications. The flaw demonstrates how inadequate input validation and insufficient session management can create exploitable conditions in web applications. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving privilege escalation and persistence mechanisms, as attackers can use the CSRF exploit to gain unauthorized administrative capabilities. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that WordPress is one of the most widely deployed content management systems, with countless sites potentially vulnerable to this type of exploitation. The vulnerability also reflects broader issues in plugin development practices where security considerations are not adequately integrated into the development lifecycle, highlighting the importance of implementing proper security controls during the software development phase.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-2550 require immediate action to upgrade the Disable Comments plugin to version 1.0.4 or later, which includes proper CSRF protection mechanisms. Organizations should also implement additional defensive measures such as regular security audits of installed plugins, monitoring for unauthorized administrative changes, and implementing web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious request patterns. The fix implemented in version 1.0.4 typically involves adding nonce validation to administrative requests, ensuring that each action requires proper authentication tokens that cannot be easily forged by attackers. Security teams should also consider implementing role-based access controls and regular security training for administrators to recognize potential CSRF attack vectors and maintain awareness of the importance of keeping all WordPress components updated with the latest security patches.