CVE-2015-9323 in 404-to-301 Plugin
Summary
by MITRE
The 404-to-301 plugin before 2.0.3 for WordPress has SQL injection.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/06/2025
The CVE-2015-9323 vulnerability represents a critical SQL injection flaw discovered in the 404-to-301 WordPress plugin version 2.0.2 and earlier. This vulnerability resides within the plugin's handling of user-supplied input in the WordPress content management system environment, creating a significant security risk for affected websites. The issue specifically manifests when the plugin processes certain HTTP request parameters without proper sanitization or validation, allowing malicious actors to inject arbitrary SQL commands into the database layer. The vulnerability affects WordPress installations that utilize this specific plugin version, potentially compromising the entire website infrastructure and user data stored within the database.
The technical implementation of this SQL injection vulnerability stems from improper input validation within the plugin's core functionality. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious HTTP requests that contain specially formatted SQL commands within the plugin's parameter handling mechanisms. The vulnerability classifies under CWE-89 which specifically addresses SQL injection flaws where untrusted data is incorporated into SQL queries without proper escaping or parameterization. This weakness allows an attacker to manipulate the database queries executed by the WordPress application, potentially leading to unauthorized data access, modification, or deletion. The flaw occurs at the point where user input is directly concatenated into SQL statements rather than being properly parameterized or escaped, creating an exploitable path for database manipulation.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-9323 extends beyond simple data theft, encompassing complete system compromise and potential lateral movement within network environments. Successful exploitation could enable attackers to extract sensitive information including user credentials, personal data, and administrative access details stored in the WordPress database. The vulnerability also permits attackers to modify or delete website content, potentially causing service disruption and reputational damage. From an attacker's perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1071.004 which involves application layer protocol manipulation, and T1046 which covers network service scanning. The attack surface is particularly concerning for WordPress sites that rely heavily on plugin functionality, as the 404-to-301 plugin typically processes traffic redirection and error handling requests that are frequently accessed by both legitimate users and automated scanning tools.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-9323 require immediate action to upgrade the vulnerable plugin to version 2.0.3 or later, which contains the necessary security patches and input validation improvements. System administrators should implement comprehensive monitoring of database access patterns to detect anomalous queries that might indicate exploitation attempts. The remediation process should also include reviewing and hardening the WordPress installation's overall security posture, including implementing proper input validation at multiple layers of the application stack. Security measures should incorporate database query parameterization techniques and regular security audits of installed plugins to prevent similar vulnerabilities from being introduced. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and intrusion detection systems to provide additional protection against SQL injection attacks targeting WordPress installations. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of keeping all plugin and theme components updated to prevent exploitation of known security weaknesses.