CVE-2015-4140 in WP Smiley Plugin
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in the WP Smiley plugin 1.4.1 for WordPress allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of editors for requests that conduct cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks via the s4w-more parameter to the smilies4wp.php page to wp-admin/options-general.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/09/2019
The CVE-2015-4140 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within the WP Smiley plugin version 1.4.1 for WordPress platforms. This vulnerability specifically targets the plugin's handling of user authentication tokens and request validation mechanisms, creating a pathway for malicious actors to exploit the trust relationship between legitimate users and the WordPress administration interface. The flaw manifests in the plugin's processing of the s4w-more parameter within the smilies4wp.php endpoint, which ultimately redirects to the wp-admin/options-general.php administrative page. The vulnerability's classification as a CSRF issue stems from the plugin's failure to properly validate the origin and authenticity of requests originating from authenticated editors, thereby enabling unauthorized actions to be executed under their credentials.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through a carefully crafted malicious request that leverages the s4w-more parameter to manipulate the plugin's behavior and redirect the authenticated editor to a malicious payload within the WordPress admin context. The vulnerability's design allows for the execution of cross-site scripting attacks by manipulating the plugin's parameter handling to inject malicious JavaScript code into the target system. This type of attack vector specifically targets the administrative privileges of editors who have sufficient permissions to modify plugin settings and configuration options. The flaw demonstrates a classic CSRF weakness where the application does not adequately verify the integrity of requests, particularly those that modify application state or execute administrative functions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it provides attackers with a mechanism to execute persistent XSS attacks within the context of the target's administrative session. This creates a significant risk for organizations relying on WordPress platforms with the vulnerable plugin, as editors with access to the wp-admin interface can unknowingly execute malicious code that persists in the browser session. The vulnerability's exploitation could lead to complete administrative compromise, data exfiltration, unauthorized content modification, and the potential for lateral movement within the WordPress environment. The attack requires minimal user interaction beyond navigating to a malicious page, making it particularly dangerous in environments where editors may visit untrusted websites or receive phishing emails.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement mitigation strategies including plugin updates to versions that address the CSRF validation issues, implementing additional request validation mechanisms, and deploying web application firewalls that can detect and block malicious parameter manipulation attempts. 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 techniques involving privilege escalation and persistence within web applications, specifically targeting the T1078 credential access and T1059 execution techniques. The vulnerability also demonstrates characteristics of T1548 privilege escalation through application-specific weaknesses, making it a significant concern for organizations that rely on WordPress for content management and administrative functions. Proper input validation and token verification mechanisms should be implemented to prevent unauthorized modifications to administrative settings through manipulated parameters.