CVE-2014-3907 in Newsletters
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in the MailPoet Newsletters (wysija-newsletters) plugin before 2.6.11 for WordPress allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of arbitrary users.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/12/2019
The CVE-2014-3907 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within the MailPoet Newsletters plugin for WordPress systems. This vulnerability specifically affects versions prior to 2.6.11 and enables remote attackers to exploit the authentication mechanisms of arbitrary users through maliciously crafted requests. The flaw resides in the plugin's insufficient validation of request origins and lack of proper anti-CSRF token implementation, creating a significant security risk for WordPress installations that utilize this newsletter plugin. The vulnerability operates by tricking authenticated users into executing unintended actions on the target website without their knowledge or consent, effectively allowing attackers to hijack user sessions and perform unauthorized operations.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from the absence of proper request verification mechanisms within the MailPoet plugin's administrative interfaces. When users access the plugin's administrative panels, the system fails to validate that requests originate from legitimate sources within the same domain. This omission creates a window of opportunity for attackers to craft malicious web pages or emails that, when visited by authenticated users, automatically submit requests to the vulnerable WordPress installation. The flaw operates under CWE-352, which categorizes cross-site request forgery vulnerabilities as a fundamental weakness in web application security. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to perform actions such as sending newsletters, modifying user permissions, or executing administrative commands on behalf of authenticated users.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-3907 extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as it fundamentally compromises the integrity of user sessions and administrative controls within WordPress installations. When exploited, this vulnerability allows attackers to hijack user authentication tokens and perform privileged operations without the need for credentials or additional authentication mechanisms. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that WordPress installations often contain sensitive data and administrative capabilities that can be leveraged for further compromise. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001, which describes credential harvesting through social engineering, as attackers can manipulate users into executing malicious requests through deceptive means. Organizations running vulnerable versions of the MailPoet plugin face significant risk of unauthorized content publication, user account manipulation, and potential data breaches.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-3907 require immediate patching of the MailPoet Newsletters plugin to version 2.6.11 or later, which implements proper CSRF protection mechanisms. System administrators should conduct comprehensive audits of their WordPress installations to identify all instances of the vulnerable plugin and ensure all users are updated. The implementation of additional security measures including Content Security Policy headers, proper session management, and regular security scanning can provide layered protection against similar vulnerabilities. Organizations should also implement user education programs to raise awareness about suspicious web interactions and email content that might attempt to exploit CSRF vulnerabilities. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date third-party plugins and implementing robust security monitoring practices to detect and respond to exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be integrated into the overall security posture to identify similar weaknesses in other components of the WordPress ecosystem.