CVE-2014-2838 in GD Star Rating
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerabilities in the GD Star Rating plugin 19.22 for WordPress allow remote attackers to hijack the authentication of administrators for requests that conduct (1) SQL injection attacks via the s parameter in the gd-star-rating-stats page to wp-admin/admin.php or (2) cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/08/2018
The CVE-2014-2838 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery weakness in the GD Star Rating plugin version 19.22 for WordPress platforms. This vulnerability stems from inadequate validation and sanitization of user input within the plugin's administrative interface, specifically affecting the gd-star-rating-stats page located at wp-admin/admin.php. The flaw creates a dangerous attack vector where malicious actors can exploit the absence of proper CSRF protection mechanisms to manipulate administrative sessions and execute unauthorized operations within the WordPress environment. The vulnerability's severity is amplified by its potential to enable both SQL injection and cross-site scripting attacks, making it particularly dangerous for WordPress administrators and site owners.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs through the s parameter manipulation within the plugin's administrative interface. When administrators access the gd-star-rating-stats page, the plugin fails to validate the authenticity of incoming requests, allowing attackers to craft malicious requests that appear legitimate to the WordPress administration system. This lack of proper request verification enables attackers to bypass standard authentication mechanisms and potentially execute arbitrary code within the context of the administrator's session. The vulnerability specifically affects the SQL injection attack vector through the s parameter, which can be manipulated to inject malicious SQL commands into database queries, while simultaneously creating XSS opportunities through unspecified vectors within the plugin's processing logic.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-2838 extends far beyond simple data theft or defacement, as it fundamentally compromises the integrity and security of WordPress administrative functions. Successful exploitation can lead to complete administrative control over affected WordPress installations, enabling attackers to modify or delete content, install malicious plugins, modify user permissions, and potentially escalate privileges within the broader network infrastructure. The dual nature of the vulnerability means that attackers can simultaneously leverage both SQL injection to extract sensitive database information and XSS to persist malicious scripts within the administrator's browser session, creating a persistent threat that can evolve into more sophisticated attacks over time. This vulnerability directly relates to CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses in web applications, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and T1566 for credential access through social engineering and web application attacks.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including plugin updates to versions that address the CSRF protection gaps, implementation of web application firewalls to detect and block malicious requests, and comprehensive monitoring of administrative access logs for suspicious activity patterns. The recommended approach involves deploying proper CSRF token validation mechanisms within the plugin's administrative pages, ensuring that all requests to wp-admin/admin.php include and validate unique tokens that cannot be forged by unauthorized parties. Additionally, administrators should conduct thorough security audits of their WordPress installations, review plugin permissions, and implement multi-factor authentication for administrative accounts to reduce the risk of successful exploitation. Regular security scanning and vulnerability assessment procedures should be established to identify similar weaknesses in other plugins and core WordPress components, while maintaining up-to-date backups to ensure rapid recovery in case of successful compromise. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of input validation and authentication mechanisms in web applications, particularly in administrative interfaces where elevated privileges can result in catastrophic system compromise.