CVE-2015-9390 in admin-management-xtended Plugin
Summary
by MITRE
The admin-management-xtended plugin before 2.4.0.1 for WordPress has privilege escalation because wp_ajax functions are mishandled.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/26/2023
The CVE-2015-9390 vulnerability affects the admin-management-extended plugin for WordPress, specifically versions prior to 2.4.0.1, presenting a critical privilege escalation flaw that allows unauthorized users to gain elevated administrative privileges. This vulnerability stems from improper handling of WordPress ajax functions within the plugin's administrative interface, creating a pathway for attackers to execute malicious actions with higher privileges than initially granted. The flaw exists in the plugin's permission validation mechanisms, where wp_ajax functions lack proper authentication checks, enabling malicious actors to manipulate administrative workflows and potentially compromise entire WordPress installations.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the plugin's failure to properly verify user permissions before executing administrative ajax handlers. WordPress ajax functionality typically requires proper nonce verification and user authentication to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive operations. However, the admin-management-extended plugin fails to implement these security checks adequately, allowing attackers to craft malicious ajax requests that bypass standard WordPress permission controls. This misconfiguration creates a direct pathway for privilege escalation attacks where unauthenticated or low-privileged users can invoke administrative functions through the wp_ajax endpoints.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to WordPress administrators and site owners, as it can be exploited to perform various malicious activities including but not limited to creating new administrator accounts, modifying existing user permissions, accessing sensitive data, and potentially installing malicious code. The impact extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as successful exploitation can lead to complete compromise of the WordPress installation and potentially the underlying server infrastructure. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to establish persistent backdoors, exfiltrate sensitive information, or use the compromised site as a launchpad for further attacks within the network.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control issues, and relates to ATT&CK technique T1078.004, which covers valid accounts with elevated privileges. Organizations should immediately update to plugin version 2.4.0.1 or later to address this flaw, as the fix includes proper nonce verification and enhanced permission checking for all ajax handlers. Additionally, administrators should conduct thorough security audits of their WordPress installations, review user permissions, and implement additional security measures such as rate limiting for ajax requests and monitoring for suspicious administrative activities to prevent exploitation of similar vulnerabilities in other plugins or themes.
The broader implications of this vulnerability highlight the importance of proper input validation and access control implementation in WordPress plugins, particularly those that handle administrative functions. Security researchers and plugin developers should prioritize implementing robust authentication checks for all ajax endpoints and regularly audit code for potential privilege escalation vectors. Organizations maintaining WordPress installations should establish comprehensive security practices including regular plugin updates, security monitoring, and access control reviews to minimize exposure to such critical vulnerabilities that can lead to complete system compromise.