CVE-2014-9401 in WP Limit Posts Automatically
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in the WP Limit Posts Automatically plugin 0.7 and earlier for WordPress allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of administrators for requests that conduct cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks via the lpa_post_letters parameter in the wp-limit-posts-automatically.php page to wp-admin/options-general.php.
If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/30/2024
The CVE-2014-9401 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw in the WP Limit Posts Automatically WordPress plugin version 0.7 and earlier. This vulnerability specifically targets the administrative interface of WordPress installations, creating a dangerous attack vector that enables remote threat actors to exploit the authentication mechanisms of privileged users. The flaw exists within the plugin's handling of the lpa_post_letters parameter, which is processed through the wp-limit-posts-automatically.php page and subsequently forwarded to wp-admin/options-general.php. This parameter manipulation allows attackers to craft malicious requests that appear to originate from legitimate administrative sessions, bypassing standard security controls.
The technical exploitation of this CSRF vulnerability leverages the principle that authenticated sessions remain valid across different contexts, particularly when the application fails to implement proper anti-CSRF measures. Attackers can construct malicious web pages or send targeted payloads that automatically submit requests to the vulnerable WordPress administration interface, effectively hijacking administrator sessions. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple session hijacking, as it can be combined with cross-site scripting attacks to create more sophisticated exploitation chains. When combined with XSS capabilities, an attacker could potentially execute malicious scripts in the context of an administrator's browser session, leading to complete compromise of the WordPress installation. This particular vulnerability falls under CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1548.001 for abuse of privileges through session manipulation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability poses significant risks to WordPress administrators and their sites. An attacker who successfully exploits this flaw can perform administrative actions such as modifying plugin settings, altering post limits, or potentially gaining deeper access to the WordPress system. The vulnerability particularly affects organizations that rely on the WP Limit Posts Automatically plugin for content management, as the attack can be executed without requiring any special privileges or credentials from the administrator. The exploitability of this vulnerability is relatively high due to the lack of proper token validation and the predictable nature of the parameter handling. Organizations using affected plugin versions face potential data breaches, unauthorized modifications to content management systems, and possible complete system compromise. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of validating user requests and implementing robust anti-CSRF mechanisms in web applications, particularly those handling administrative functions. Mitigation efforts should focus on immediate plugin updates, implementation of CSRF tokens, and enhanced monitoring of administrative interface access patterns to detect suspicious activities.