CVE-2014-9395 in Simplelife
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerabilities in the Simplelife plugin 1.2 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) simplehoverback, (2) simplehovertext, (3) flickrback, or (4) simple_flimit parameter in the simplelife.php page to wp-admin/options-general.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/02/2018
The CVE-2014-9395 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within the Simplelife WordPress plugin version 1.2 and earlier, demonstrating a fundamental failure in authentication and request validation mechanisms. This vulnerability specifically targets the wp-admin/options-general.php page and affects four distinct parameters including simplehoverback, simplehovertext, flickrback, and simple_flimit within the simplelife.php file. The flaw allows remote attackers to manipulate administrative sessions by crafting malicious requests that appear legitimate to the WordPress admin interface, exploiting the lack of proper CSRF token validation and authentication checks.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the absence of anti-CSRF protections in the plugin's handling of administrative requests. When administrators visit the plugin configuration page, the application fails to validate that incoming requests originate from legitimate administrative sessions rather than maliciously crafted requests. This absence of proper session validation creates an exploitable condition where attackers can leverage their knowledge of the plugin's parameter structure to construct requests that, when executed by an authenticated administrator, will perform unauthorized actions. The vulnerability specifically targets the WordPress administration interface, making it particularly dangerous as it can enable attackers to execute arbitrary code or modify critical system settings.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple session hijacking to encompass full administrative control over affected WordPress installations. Attackers can leverage this weakness to inject malicious scripts through the XSS vector, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The vulnerability affects the core WordPress administration functionality, allowing unauthorized modifications to plugin configurations, user management, and other critical system parameters. This represents a severe threat to WordPress site integrity and security, as successful exploitation can result in persistent backdoors, data theft, or complete system takeover. The vulnerability's impact is amplified by the fact that it targets the general options page, which is frequently accessed by administrators, making successful exploitation more likely.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-9395 must address both immediate remediation and long-term security enhancements. The primary recommendation involves upgrading to a patched version of the Simplelife plugin or completely removing the vulnerable plugin from affected systems. Administrators should also implement additional security measures including proper CSRF token validation, session management controls, and regular security audits of installed plugins. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses, and demonstrates characteristics consistent with ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and T1548.1 for abuse of authentication mechanisms. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and monitoring for suspicious administrative activities to detect potential exploitation attempts. Regular patch management and security awareness training for administrators remain essential components of a comprehensive defense strategy against such vulnerabilities.