CVE-2015-9447 in unite-gallery-lite Plugin
Summary
by MITRE
The unite-gallery-lite plugin before 1.5 for WordPress has CSRF and SQL injection via wp-admin/admin.php galleryid or id parameters.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/28/2023
The CVE-2015-9447 vulnerability affects the unite-gallery-lite plugin version 1.4 and earlier for WordPress, representing a critical security flaw that combines both cross-site request forgery and sql injection vulnerabilities. This vulnerability exists within the plugin's administrative interface, specifically targeting the wp-admin/admin.php endpoint where galleryid or id parameters are processed. The flaw allows authenticated attackers with administrator privileges to execute malicious operations without proper authorization, making it particularly dangerous in compromised environments.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization within the plugin's backend processing logic. When the galleryid or id parameters are passed through the wp-admin/admin.php URL, the plugin fails to properly validate or escape these inputs before processing them in database queries. This creates a pathway for attackers to inject malicious sql code that can be executed within the context of the WordPress database, potentially allowing for data extraction, modification, or deletion. The cross-site request forgery component amplifies the threat by enabling attackers to craft malicious requests that appear legitimate to the WordPress admin interface, exploiting the trust relationship between the user's browser and the WordPress installation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data compromise, as it provides attackers with a means to escalate privileges and maintain persistent access to affected WordPress installations. An attacker with administrator access can leverage this vulnerability to modify gallery configurations, inject malicious code into the database, or even create new administrator accounts. The vulnerability affects all WordPress installations using the affected plugin version, making it a widespread concern for website administrators who may not have updated their plugins. The combination of both csrf and sql injection capabilities means that attackers can execute complex attack chains without requiring additional exploitation methods, significantly increasing the potential damage.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-9447 should prioritize immediate plugin updates to version 1.5 or later, where the vulnerabilities have been addressed through proper input validation and sanitization measures. System administrators should also implement network-based protections such as web application firewalls to monitor and block suspicious parameter patterns targeting the affected endpoints. Additional defensive measures include regular security audits of installed plugins, implementing strong access controls, and ensuring that administrative privileges are granted only to trusted users. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-352 for cross-site request forgery and CWE-89 for sql injection, both of which are classified as high-risk weaknesses in the Common Weakness Enumeration catalog. Organizations should also consider implementing the ATT&CK framework's privilege escalation techniques to detect and respond to potential exploitation attempts, as this vulnerability enables attackers to move laterally within compromised systems and maintain persistent access.