CVE-2015-4018 in FeedWordPress Plugin
Summary
by MITRE
SQL injection vulnerability in feedwordpresssyndicationpage.class.php in the FeedWordPress plugin before 2015.0514 for WordPress allows remote authenticated users to execute arbitrary SQL commands via the link_ids[] parameter in an Update action in the syndication.php page to wp-admin/admin.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/02/2024
The CVE-2015-4018 vulnerability represents a critical sql injection flaw within the FeedWordPress plugin for WordPress systems. This vulnerability specifically targets the feedwordpresssyndicationpage.class.php component and affects versions prior to 2015.0514, creating a significant security risk for wordpress installations that utilize this plugin for rss feed syndication. The flaw exists in the administrative interface where users can manage syndicated content through the wp-admin/admin.php page. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it requires only authenticated access, meaning that any user with valid wordpress credentials can exploit this weakness to gain unauthorized system control.
The technical exploitation occurs through manipulation of the link_ids[] parameter within the Update action of the syndication.php page. When an authenticated user submits a request containing malicious sql payloads in this parameter, the plugin fails to properly sanitize or escape user input before incorporating it into database queries. This improper input handling creates a direct pathway for sql injection attacks, allowing attackers to execute arbitrary sql commands against the underlying database. The vulnerability follows the common pattern of parameter-based sql injection where user-supplied data directly influences sql query construction without adequate validation or sanitization measures.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability enables attackers to perform a wide range of malicious activities including but not limited to data extraction, data modification, privilege escalation, and potentially complete system compromise. The authenticated nature of the exploit means that attackers do not need to perform initial reconnaissance or credential harvesting, significantly reducing the attack surface and increasing the likelihood of successful exploitation. Database administrators may face unauthorized access to sensitive information such as user credentials, post content, and system configuration details. The vulnerability also poses risks to system availability as attackers could potentially delete or corrupt database entries, leading to service disruption for legitimate users.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-89 which categorizes sql injection flaws as a fundamental weakness in software security. This weakness specifically addresses the improper handling of user input in sql query construction, where untrusted data is directly incorporated into sql commands without proper escaping or parameterization. From an attack framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to multiple ATT&CK techniques including credential access through database credential theft and privilege escalation by manipulating database contents. The attack chain typically involves an authenticated user session being leveraged to submit malicious payloads, followed by successful sql injection execution that provides the attacker with elevated database access privileges. Organizations should implement immediate patching strategies to address this vulnerability and consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block malicious sql injection attempts targeting the affected plugin components.
Mitigation strategies should prioritize immediate patch deployment to version 2015.0514 or later of the FeedWordPress plugin, which contains the necessary input validation and sanitization fixes. Additionally, implementing proper input validation at multiple layers including application-level parameter sanitization, database query parameterization, and network-level monitoring can provide defense-in-depth protection. Security administrators should also consider restricting administrative privileges to only essential users, implementing role-based access controls, and conducting regular security audits of installed plugins to identify similar vulnerabilities. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date software components and implementing comprehensive security monitoring to detect unauthorized access attempts and sql injection patterns in web application traffic.