CVE-2015-9230 in BulletProof Security Plugin
Summary
by MITRE
In the admin/db-backup-security/db-backup-security.php page in the BulletProof Security plugin before .52.5 for WordPress, XSS is possible for remote authenticated administrators via the DBTablePrefix parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/28/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-9230 affects the BulletProof Security plugin for WordPress, specifically targeting the admin/db-backup-security/db-backup-security.php page. This security flaw exists in versions prior to 52.5 and represents a cross-site scripting vulnerability that can be exploited by authenticated administrators with remote access capabilities. The vulnerability manifests through the DBTablePrefix parameter, which fails to properly sanitize user input before rendering it in the web interface. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-79, which categorizes cross-site scripting flaws as weaknesses in web applications where untrusted data is embedded into web pages without proper validation or encoding.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability allows an attacker who has already gained administrative privileges to inject malicious scripts into the database table prefix field. When the page renders the parameter value, the unescaped input executes within the browser context of other users who view the affected page. This creates a persistent XSS vector that can be leveraged to steal session cookies, perform actions on behalf of users, or redirect them to malicious sites. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates within the administrative interface where privileged users already possess elevated permissions, making the potential impact more severe than typical XSS flaws.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability undermines the security model of WordPress sites using the BulletProof Security plugin, as it allows for privilege escalation through malicious script execution. The attack requires an authenticated administrator account, but once achieved, the attacker can leverage the XSS to compromise the entire administrative session. This aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter, where malicious scripts can be executed to gain further access or manipulate the system. The vulnerability also demonstrates a failure in input validation and output encoding practices that are fundamental to preventing XSS attacks in web applications.
The recommended mitigation strategy involves immediate upgrading to version 52.5 or later of the BulletProof Security plugin, which contains the necessary patches to sanitize the DBTablePrefix parameter. Additionally, administrators should implement input validation measures that enforce strict parameter sanitization and output encoding for all user-supplied data. Security monitoring should include detection of unusual administrative activities and parameter manipulation attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls that can detect and block malicious script injection attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of regular security updates and proper input validation practices as outlined in OWASP Top Ten 2017 category A03: Injection, which includes XSS as a primary concern requiring proper data sanitization and encoding controls.