CVE-2015-10108 in Inline Google Spreadsheet Viewer Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 05/31/2023
A vulnerability was found in meitar Inline Google Spreadsheet Viewer Plugin up to 0.9.6 on WordPress and classified as problematic. Affected by this issue is the function displayShortcode of the file inline-gdocs-viewer.php. The manipulation leads to cross-site request forgery. The attack may be launched remotely. Upgrading to version 0.9.6.1 is able to address this issue. The name of the patch is 2a8057df8ca30adc859cecbe5cad21ac28c5b747. It is recommended to upgrade the affected component. VDB-230234 is the identifier assigned to this vulnerability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/24/2023
This vulnerability resides within the meitar Inline Google Spreadsheet Viewer plugin for WordPress, specifically affecting versions up to 0.9.6. The issue manifests in the displayShortcode function located within the inline-gdocs-viewer.php file, representing a cross-site request forgery vulnerability that poses significant security risks to WordPress installations. The flaw allows attackers to manipulate the plugin's functionality in ways that could compromise user sessions and potentially lead to unauthorized actions being performed on behalf of authenticated users. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be exploited remotely without requiring any special privileges or access to the target system.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from the plugin's failure to properly validate and authenticate requests originating from the displayShortcode function. When users visit pages containing the plugin's shortcode, the vulnerable function processes requests that lack proper CSRF tokens or validation mechanisms. This creates an attack surface where malicious actors can craft specially formatted requests that appear legitimate to the WordPress installation. The vulnerability's classification as a remote attack vector means that exploitation can occur entirely from outside the network, making it accessible to anyone who can influence the target user's browser activity. The attack requires no authentication to the WordPress site itself, as it operates through the user's existing authenticated session.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or modification. Attackers could potentially perform unauthorized actions such as modifying plugin settings, accessing sensitive data through the Google Spreadsheet integration, or even using the compromised session to execute further attacks against the WordPress installation. The vulnerability affects the core functionality of the plugin's shortcode display mechanism, which is likely used across multiple pages and potentially by numerous users. Given that WordPress plugins often serve as attack vectors due to their extended functionality and integration with core systems, this CSRF flaw could enable broader exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's presence in the shortcode display function suggests that it may be triggered by simply viewing pages that contain the plugin's content, making it particularly dangerous as it requires minimal user interaction to exploit.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability center on upgrading to version 0.9.6.1, which contains the patch identified by the commit hash 2a8057df8ca30adc859cecbe5cad21ac28c5b747. This upgrade addresses the missing CSRF protection mechanisms in the displayShortcode function and ensures that requests are properly validated before execution. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security measures such as monitoring for unauthorized plugin modifications, maintaining up-to-date security patches across all WordPress components, and conducting regular security assessments of installed plugins. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses cross-site request forgery issues in web applications. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability would be categorized under T1213 - Data from Information Repositories, as it could potentially enable attackers to access and manipulate data stored in Google Spreadsheets that are integrated through the plugin. System administrators should prioritize this patch as part of their routine security maintenance protocols to prevent exploitation attempts that could lead to more severe compromise scenarios.