CVE-2015-9343 in wp-rollback Plugin
Summary
by MITRE
The wp-rollback plugin before 1.2.3 for WordPress has CSRF.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/04/2023
The wp-rollback plugin for WordPress contains a cross-site request forgery vulnerability that affects versions prior to 1.2.3, representing a critical security flaw in the content management system ecosystem. This vulnerability allows attackers to perform unauthorized actions on behalf of authenticated users without their knowledge or consent, exploiting the fundamental weakness in the plugin's request validation mechanisms. The issue arises from the plugin's failure to implement proper anti-CSRF token validation during critical administrative operations, making it susceptible to exploitation by malicious actors who can craft malicious requests that appear legitimate to the WordPress system.
The technical flaw manifests in the plugin's handling of administrative actions where it does not verify the authenticity of requests through cryptographic tokens or other anti-CSRF mechanisms. When administrators perform rollback operations or other administrative tasks within the WordPress interface, the plugin accepts requests that lack proper validation of the user's intent or session authenticity. This vulnerability falls under CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses in software applications. The absence of anti-CSRF protection means that an attacker can construct a malicious webpage or email attachment that, when visited or opened by an authenticated administrator, automatically triggers unauthorized rollback operations within the WordPress installation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data manipulation to potentially compromise entire WordPress installations. Attackers can exploit this weakness to revert websites to earlier versions, potentially removing security patches, disabling plugins, or restoring malicious code that was previously removed. This capability enables attackers to downgrade security measures, introduce backdoors, or disrupt website functionality in ways that can persist for extended periods. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates at the administrative level, allowing attackers to modify core website functionality and potentially gain persistent access to compromised systems. The attack surface is broad as it can be delivered through various vectors including phishing emails, compromised websites, or social engineering campaigns that trick administrators into visiting malicious pages.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate plugin updates to version 1.2.3 or later, which contains the necessary anti-CSRF protections. System administrators should also implement additional security measures including regular security audits of installed plugins, monitoring for unauthorized administrative actions, and implementing network-level protections such as web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious CSRF patterns. Organizations should consider implementing multi-factor authentication for administrative accounts and establishing strict access controls to minimize the impact of potential compromise. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of keeping all WordPress components updated and highlights the need for comprehensive security testing of third-party plugins before deployment in production environments. This issue aligns with ATT&CK technique T1213.002, which covers data from information repositories, as attackers can leverage such vulnerabilities to manipulate stored website data and configuration settings.