CVE-2014-5072 in WP Security Audit Log Plugin
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in WP Security Audit Log plugin before 1.2.5 for WordPress allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of unspecified victims via unknown vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/22/2020
The CVE-2014-5072 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw discovered in the WP Security Audit Log plugin for WordPress systems. This vulnerability existed in versions prior to 1.2.5 and created a significant security risk by allowing remote attackers to manipulate authenticated sessions without proper authorization. The vulnerability operates through unspecified attack vectors that enable malicious actors to forge requests that appear to originate from legitimate users, thereby compromising the authentication mechanisms of targeted WordPress installations.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from inadequate validation of request origins and lack of proper anti-CSRF token mechanisms within the plugin's authentication flow. When users accessed certain administrative functions or performed actions within the WordPress dashboard, the plugin failed to adequately verify that requests were genuinely initiated by authenticated users rather than being crafted by attackers. This weakness aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses cross-site request forgery vulnerabilities in web applications. The flaw essentially allows attackers to execute unauthorized commands on behalf of authenticated users, potentially leading to complete compromise of the affected WordPress sites.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or manipulation, as it enables attackers to hijack user sessions and perform administrative actions without proper credentials. Attackers could potentially modify plugin settings, access sensitive audit logs, or perform other privileged operations that would normally require valid authentication. The unspecified nature of the attack vectors suggests that multiple pathways existed for exploitation, making the vulnerability particularly dangerous as defenders had difficulty predicting all possible attack scenarios. This type of vulnerability directly maps to techniques described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the T1531 category, which covers "Modify System Image" and related session management attacks.
Organizations running vulnerable versions of the WP Security Audit Log plugin faced significant exposure risks, as the vulnerability could be exploited through various means including phishing emails, compromised websites, or malicious advertisements that would trigger the CSRF attack when users visited compromised pages. The attack typically required users to be logged into their WordPress administrative panels at the time of exploitation, making it particularly dangerous in environments where administrators frequently accessed sites from shared or public computers. The vulnerability also highlighted the importance of proper input validation and request origin verification in WordPress plugin development, as the flaw existed in a security-focused plugin that should have implemented robust protection mechanisms against such attacks.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-5072 centered on immediate plugin updates to version 1.2.5 or later, which contained the necessary fixes to prevent CSRF attacks. Additionally, administrators should have implemented additional security measures including web application firewalls, proper session management, and regular security audits of installed plugins. The vulnerability underscored the importance of keeping all WordPress components updated and following security best practices such as implementing proper CSRF token validation and validating request origins. Security teams were advised to monitor for suspicious activities in audit logs and implement network-level protections to detect and prevent exploitation attempts. The incident also reinforced the necessity of comprehensive security testing for WordPress plugins and adherence to security standards that prevent such fundamental authentication bypass vulnerabilities.