CVE-2014-9334 in Bird Feeder
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerabilities in the Bird Feeder plugin 1.2.3 for WordPress allow remote attackers to hijack the authentication of administrators for requests that conduct cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks via the (1) user or (2) password parameter in the bird-feeder page to wp-admin/options-general.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/09/2022
The CVE-2014-9334 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within the Bird Feeder WordPress plugin version 1.2.3, specifically targeting the wp-admin/options-general.php administrative interface. This vulnerability operates at the intersection of CSRF and XSS attack vectors, creating a particularly dangerous exploitation scenario for WordPress administrators. The flaw stems from insufficient validation of request origins and lack of proper anti-CSRF token implementation within the plugin's administrative forms, allowing malicious actors to craft forged requests that appear legitimate to the WordPress administration system.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability exploits the fundamental weakness in the plugin's form handling mechanism where the user and password parameters in the bird-feeder page configuration do not properly validate the authenticity of incoming requests. When administrators visit compromised pages or are tricked into clicking malicious links, attackers can leverage the CSRF vulnerability to inject malicious JavaScript code through the vulnerable parameters. The attack requires minimal privileges since it targets the administrative interface where authenticated users have elevated permissions, making the potential impact significantly more severe than typical XSS vulnerabilities.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or defacement, as it enables complete administrative takeover of affected WordPress installations. Attackers can manipulate user accounts, modify plugin configurations, inject malicious content into the WordPress environment, and potentially establish persistent backdoors through the compromised administrative sessions. The vulnerability affects all WordPress installations using the specific plugin version, creating a widespread attack surface across numerous websites that fail to properly update their plugins. This particular flaw demonstrates how third-party plugin vulnerabilities can serve as primary attack vectors for sophisticated compromise operations, often bypassing standard security measures that protect against direct exploitation attempts.
Security practitioners should implement immediate mitigation strategies including plugin version updates to patched releases, deployment of web application firewalls with CSRF protection rules, and comprehensive monitoring for unauthorized administrative activities. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses cross-site request forgery weaknesses in web applications, and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and T1566 for social engineering components. Organizations must also establish robust patch management processes to ensure timely updates of all WordPress plugins and themes, as this vulnerability highlights the critical importance of maintaining current security configurations in content management systems. The attack vector emphasizes the need for multi-layered security approaches that combine input validation, proper authentication mechanisms, and regular security auditing of third-party components to prevent similar exploitation scenarios.