CVE-2015-9387 in mtouch-quiz Plugin
Summary
by MITRE
The mtouch-quiz plugin before 3.1.3 for WordPress has wp-admin/options-general.php CSRF.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/26/2023
The CVE-2015-9387 vulnerability affects the mtouch-quiz plugin version 3.1.2 and earlier in the WordPress ecosystem, representing a critical cross-site request forgery flaw that compromises administrative integrity. This vulnerability exists within the wp-admin/options-general.php endpoint, which is a core administrative interface in WordPress responsible for general site configuration settings. The flaw allows authenticated attackers with administrative privileges to execute unauthorized actions against the target WordPress installation without user consent, exploiting the absence of proper anti-CSRF protection mechanisms in the plugin's administrative interface.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the mtouch-quiz plugin's failure to implement proper CSRF token validation when processing administrative requests through the options-general.php page. When administrators access the plugin's settings or configuration options, the application does not verify that requests originate from legitimate administrative sessions. This weakness enables attackers to craft malicious requests that, when executed by an authenticated administrator, can modify critical plugin settings or configuration parameters. The vulnerability specifically targets the plugin's administrative functionality where users can adjust quiz-related configurations, potentially allowing attackers to manipulate quiz parameters, modify user access controls, or alter other sensitive administrative settings.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple configuration changes, as it provides attackers with a potential foothold for further compromise within the WordPress environment. An attacker who can leverage this CSRF vulnerability could potentially modify quiz settings to redirect users to malicious content, alter quiz results processing, or disable security features within the plugin. This vulnerability represents a significant risk to WordPress site integrity and user data protection, particularly in environments where the mtouch-quiz plugin is used for sensitive applications such as online assessments, training programs, or user engagement activities. The attack vector requires only that an administrator be tricked into visiting a malicious page or clicking on a crafted link while authenticated to the WordPress admin interface, making it particularly dangerous in social engineering scenarios.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-9387 involve immediate plugin version updates to 3.1.3 or later, which contain the necessary CSRF protection mechanisms. Organizations should also implement additional security measures including regular security audits of installed plugins, ensuring proper input validation and output encoding, and maintaining up-to-date WordPress core installations with all security patches applied. Network monitoring solutions should be configured to detect anomalous administrative activity patterns that might indicate CSRF attacks. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter usage in exploitation scenarios. Administrators should also consider implementing Content Security Policy headers and additional authentication layers to reduce the attack surface and prevent unauthorized modifications to administrative interfaces. Regular security training for administrators helps prevent social engineering attacks that might leverage this vulnerability, as the attack requires administrator interaction with malicious content.