CVE-2014-2559 in twitget
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerabilities in twitget.php in the Twitget plugin before 3.3.3 for WordPress allow remote attackers to hijack the authentication of administrators for requests that change unspecified plugin options via a request to wp-admin/options-general.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/19/2024
The CVE-2014-2559 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw discovered in the Twitget WordPress plugin version 3.3.2 and earlier. This vulnerability resides within the twitget.php file and specifically targets the plugin's administrative functionality. The flaw allows remote attackers to exploit the lack of proper authentication verification mechanisms, enabling them to manipulate administrative sessions and execute unauthorized actions. The vulnerability's impact extends to the wp-admin/options-general.php endpoint, which serves as a critical administrative interface for WordPress site configuration options.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from the absence of anti-CSRF tokens or proper session validation mechanisms within the Twitget plugin's administrative handling code. When administrators access the plugin's configuration interface, the system fails to verify that requests originate from legitimate administrative sessions rather than maliciously crafted requests. This omission creates a pathway for attackers to construct specially crafted HTTP requests that, when executed by an authenticated administrator, can modify unspecified plugin options without the administrator's knowledge or consent. The vulnerability operates under the principle that authenticated sessions can be hijacked through manipulated requests, bypassing standard WordPress security measures that typically protect administrative functions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data manipulation, as it provides attackers with the ability to compromise entire WordPress installations through administrative privilege escalation. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could potentially modify critical plugin settings, inject malicious code, or even establish persistent backdoors within the WordPress environment. The unspecified nature of the affected plugin options suggests that the vulnerability could enable a wide range of malicious activities, including but not limited to configuration changes that could affect site functionality, security settings, or even enable further exploitation of the WordPress installation. This type of vulnerability directly violates the principle of least privilege and can lead to complete system compromise when combined with other exploitation techniques.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses in software systems. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1078 which covers valid accounts and T1566 which covers phishing techniques, as attackers can leverage this weakness to establish persistent access through administrative session hijacking. The lack of proper CSRF protection mechanisms in the Twitget plugin creates an attack surface that can be exploited through social engineering or by leveraging existing access to the target system. Organizations using vulnerable versions of this plugin face significant risk of unauthorized administrative access and potential data breaches. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of implementing robust authentication verification mechanisms and proper session management practices in web applications, particularly those handling administrative functions.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of the Twitget plugin to version 3.3.3 or later, where the CSRF protection mechanisms have been implemented. Administrators should also implement additional security measures such as network segmentation, monitoring for unauthorized administrative actions, and regular security audits of installed plugins. The WordPress security team recommends maintaining up-to-date plugins and themes, implementing strong access controls, and monitoring administrative activities for suspicious behavior. Organizations should also consider implementing Web Application Firewall rules that can detect and block common CSRF attack patterns, while ensuring that all administrative interfaces properly validate session authenticity and implement anti-CSRF tokens. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify and remediate similar weaknesses in other plugins or custom code implementations.