CVE-2014-9393 in Post to Twitter
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerabilities in the Post to Twitter plugin 0.7 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) idptt_twitter_username or (2) idptt_tweet_prefix parameter to wp-admin/options-general.php.
Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/10/2022
The CVE-2014-9393 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within the Post to Twitter WordPress plugin version 0.7 and earlier. This vulnerability resides in the plugin's handling of administrative configuration parameters within the WordPress admin interface, specifically targeting the wp-admin/options-general.php endpoint. The flaw enables remote attackers to manipulate administrative sessions through crafted requests that leverage the plugin's configuration parameters, creating a dangerous attack vector that combines CSRF with potential XSS exploitation capabilities.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the plugin's inadequate validation and authentication mechanisms for administrative parameters. Attackers can exploit the idptt_twitter_username and idptt_tweet_prefix parameters to construct malicious requests that appear legitimate to the WordPress administration interface. These parameters are processed without proper CSRF token verification or session validation, allowing unauthorized modification of Twitter integration settings. The vulnerability specifically affects the WordPress plugin's administrative configuration handling, where user input is directly incorporated into server-side operations without sufficient security controls.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it creates a pathway for attackers to establish persistent malicious presence within WordPress installations. When administrators interact with compromised sites, the CSRF attacks can be leveraged to inject malicious JavaScript code through the XSS vector, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The vulnerability affects WordPress installations where the vulnerable plugin is active, making it particularly dangerous in environments where multiple administrators may be logged in simultaneously. This creates a window of opportunity for attackers to exploit the administrative session hijacking capability.
Security professionals should recognize this vulnerability as a classic example of insufficient anti-CSRF protection mechanisms, which aligns with CWE-352 and follows patterns identified in the ATT&CK framework under privilege escalation and persistence techniques. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of implementing robust session management and token-based authentication for all administrative operations. Mitigation strategies should include immediate plugin updates to versions that address the CSRF token validation issues, implementation of web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious parameter manipulation attempts, and regular security auditing of installed WordPress plugins to ensure compliance with security best practices. Organizations should also consider implementing additional monitoring for unauthorized administrative configuration changes and establish proper access controls for plugin management functions.