CVE-2015-2791 in WPML Plugin
Summary
by MITRE
The "menu sync" function in the WPML plugin before 3.1.9 for WordPress allows remote attackers to delete arbitrary posts, pages, and menus via a crafted request to sitepress-multilingual-cms/menu/menus-sync.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/13/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-2791 affects the WPML plugin for WordPress, specifically targeting versions prior to 3.1.9. This security flaw resides within the "menu sync" functionality of the plugin, which is designed to synchronize multilingual menus across different language versions of a WordPress site. The WPML plugin serves as a critical component for website owners who require multilingual capabilities, making this vulnerability particularly concerning given the widespread adoption of the plugin across WordPress installations worldwide.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and access control mechanisms within the sitepress-multilingual-cms/menu/menus-sync.php endpoint. Remote attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious HTTP requests that manipulate the menu synchronization process, ultimately gaining the ability to delete arbitrary posts, pages, and menus from the affected WordPress installation. This represents a severe authorization bypass vulnerability where unauthenticated or low-privileged users can execute destructive operations against the target system. The flaw essentially allows attackers to leverage the legitimate menu synchronization feature as a vector for unauthorized data destruction, demonstrating poor security design in the plugin's permission handling.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data loss, as it provides attackers with the capability to completely disrupt website functionality and content management. When an attacker successfully exploits this vulnerability, they can delete critical website content including posts, pages, and navigation menus, potentially causing complete site outages or significant operational disruptions. The damage can be particularly severe for e-commerce sites, news portals, or any website where content integrity is paramount. Additionally, the deletion of menu structures can affect site navigation and user experience, while the removal of posts and pages can result in permanent data loss that may require extensive recovery efforts.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-862, which describes insufficient authorization, and represents a classic example of how legitimate administrative functions can be misused when proper access controls are not implemented. From an ATT&CK perspective, this flaw maps to T1078 Valid Accounts and T1485 Data Destruction, as it allows unauthorized access to systems and enables the execution of destructive operations against data repositories. The exploitation of this vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input sanitization and access control validation in web applications, particularly those handling content management functions. Organizations using WPML plugin versions prior to 3.1.9 should immediately implement security patches and consider implementing additional monitoring for suspicious requests to the menus-sync.php endpoint. The vulnerability highlights the necessity of regular security updates and the importance of conducting thorough security assessments of third-party plugins before deployment in production environments.
The remediation approach for this vulnerability requires immediate patching of the WPML plugin to version 3.1.9 or later, which includes proper authentication checks and input validation for the menu synchronization function. System administrators should also implement network-level protections such as web application firewalls to monitor and block suspicious requests targeting the vulnerable endpoint. Additionally, regular security audits of WordPress installations should include verification of plugin versions and security configurations to prevent similar vulnerabilities from being exploited in the future.