CVE-2015-9486 in ThemeMakers Axioma Premium Responsive Theme
Summary
by MITRE
The ThemeMakers Axioma Premium Responsive theme through 2015-05-15 for WordPress allows remote attackers to obtain sensitive information (such as user_login, user_pass, and user_email values) via a direct request for the wp-content/uploads/tmm_db_migrate/wp_users.dat URI.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/08/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-9486 represents a critical information disclosure flaw within the ThemeMakers Axioma Premium Responsive WordPress theme version 2015-05-15 and earlier. This vulnerability exposes sensitive user authentication data through an improperly protected file access mechanism that allows remote attackers to directly access user credential information without authentication. The affected theme stores user account details in a file named wp_users.dat located within the wp-content/uploads/tmm_db_migrate/ directory structure, making this sensitive data accessible through a straightforward URI request.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate access controls and improper file permissions within the theme's migration and data storage mechanisms. When the theme performs database migration operations or stores user information, it creates a dat file containing user_login, user_pass, and user_email values in an unencrypted format. The absence of authentication checks or access restriction mechanisms means that any remote attacker can directly request the specific URI path to access this file and extract the stored credentials. This represents a classic case of improper access control as defined by CWE-284, where insufficient authorization checks allow unauthorized access to sensitive resources.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted. Remote attackers can immediately obtain complete user credential information including usernames, password hashes, and email addresses, which significantly compromises the security posture of affected WordPress installations. This information can be used for account takeover attempts, credential stuffing attacks across other services, or as a foundation for further exploitation within the compromised environment. The vulnerability affects not just individual user accounts but potentially entire user bases of WordPress sites using the vulnerable theme, making it a high-impact issue for site administrators and security teams.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including the removal of the vulnerable theme from all WordPress installations, the deletion of the wp_users.dat file from affected systems, and the implementation of proper file access controls. Security teams should also monitor for unauthorized access attempts and consider implementing web application firewalls to block direct access to sensitive file paths. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for credential access through unsecured file storage, and represents a failure in the principle of least privilege as outlined in cybersecurity best practices. Regular security audits of WordPress themes and plugins should be conducted to identify similar access control flaws, and automated scanning tools should be deployed to detect exposed sensitive data files. Additionally, administrators should ensure proper file permissions are set to prevent unauthorized access to upload directories and implement comprehensive backup strategies to recover from potential compromise scenarios.