CVE-2014-9391 in gSlideShow
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerabilities in the gSlideShow plugin 0.1 and earlier for WordPress allow remote attackers to hijack the authentication of administrators for requests that conduct cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks via the (1) rss, (2) display_time or (3) transistion_time parameter in the gslideshow.php page to wp-admin/options-general.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/03/2018
The CVE-2014-9391 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within the gSlideShow WordPress plugin version 0.1 and earlier. This vulnerability specifically targets the plugin's handling of user input parameters in the gslideshow.php file, which is accessed through the wp-admin/options-general.php administrative interface. The flaw allows remote attackers to manipulate administrative sessions by exploiting the lack of proper CSRF protection mechanisms, making it particularly dangerous in environments where administrators regularly interact with web applications.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the plugin's failure to validate the authenticity of requests originating from the WordPress administration panel. Attackers can exploit three specific parameters - rss, display_time, and transistion_time - which are processed without adequate CSRF token verification or referer header checks. When administrators visit malicious websites or are tricked into clicking compromised links, these parameters can be manipulated to execute unauthorized actions within the WordPress environment. The vulnerability's classification as a CWE-352 (Cross-Site Request Forgery) indicates the fundamental flaw in the application's session management and request validation mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple CSRF attacks to include potential cross-site scripting exploitation. Attackers can leverage the compromised administrative sessions to inject malicious scripts that persist in the WordPress admin interface, creating a persistent threat vector. This combination of CSRF and XSS vulnerabilities significantly amplifies the attack surface, as administrators who fall victim to the initial CSRF attack can unknowingly execute malicious code within their privileged sessions. The vulnerability affects WordPress installations where the vulnerable gSlideShow plugin is actively installed and configured, potentially compromising entire WordPress environments.
Security mitigations for CVE-2014-9391 should focus on immediate plugin updates to versions that implement proper CSRF protection mechanisms. Administrators must ensure that all WordPress plugins are regularly updated and maintained, as this vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of keeping plugins current. The implementation of WordPress's built-in nonce verification systems should be enforced for all administrative actions, and organizations should consider implementing additional security measures such as Content Security Policy headers and web application firewalls to detect and prevent exploitation attempts. The vulnerability also highlights the necessity of regular security audits and the principle of least privilege when granting administrative access to WordPress systems, as the impact of such attacks can be devastating to organizational security posture.