CVE-2014-9399 in TweetScribe
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in the TweetScribe plugin 1.1 and earlier for WordPress allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of administrators for requests that conduct cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks via the tweetscribe_username parameter in a save action in the tweetscribe.php page to wp-admin/options-general.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/30/2024
The CVE-2014-9399 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within the TweetScribe WordPress plugin version 1.1 and earlier. This vulnerability exists in the plugin's administrative interface and specifically targets the tweetscribe.php page located within the wp-admin/options-general.php pathway. The flaw enables remote attackers to exploit the authentication mechanism of administrators by crafting malicious requests that leverage the tweetscribe_username parameter during save operations. This represents a significant security risk as it allows unauthorized actors to manipulate administrative functions without proper authentication.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the plugin's failure to implement proper CSRF protection mechanisms within its administrative forms. When administrators access the TweetScribe settings page and attempt to save configuration changes, the plugin does not validate that the requests originate from legitimate administrative sessions. The tweetscribe_username parameter becomes a vector for attackers to inject malicious payloads that can execute in the context of the administrator's browser session. This particular implementation flaw violates fundamental security principles of input validation and session management, creating an attack surface where malicious actors can leverage existing administrator privileges to perform unauthorized actions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple CSRF exploitation to include potential cross-site scripting execution capabilities. Attackers can craft malicious requests that not only hijack administrator sessions but also inject malicious scripts into the administrative interface. This dual nature of the vulnerability means that successful exploitation could lead to complete administrative compromise, allowing attackers to modify plugin settings, inject malicious code, or potentially escalate privileges within the WordPress environment. The vulnerability affects the entire WordPress administrative ecosystem and can be leveraged to establish persistent access points within compromised sites.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement mitigations including plugin updates to versions that address the CSRF protection deficiencies, implementation of proper CSRF tokens within the plugin's administrative forms, and deployment of web application firewalls to detect and block malicious requests. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses in software applications. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1078 for valid accounts and T1190 for exploitation of remote services, representing a critical compromise of administrative privileges. Additionally, this issue demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and session management as outlined in the OWASP Top Ten, specifically addressing the risks associated with insufficient logging and monitoring of administrative activities.