CVE-2015-9487 in ThemeMakers Almera Responsive Portfolio Theme
Summary
by MITRE
The ThemeMakers Almera Responsive Portfolio 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 ThemeMakers Almera Responsive Portfolio theme version 2015-05-15 for WordPress contains a critical information disclosure vulnerability that exposes sensitive user credentials through an improperly protected file access mechanism. This vulnerability represents a classic case of insufficient access control where the theme fails to implement proper authentication checks before serving user data files. The specific file path wp-content/uploads/tmm_db_migrate/wp_users.dat contains plaintext user credentials including user_login, user_pass, and user_email values, making it a prime target for attackers seeking to compromise WordPress user accounts. The vulnerability exists because the theme does not verify whether the requesting user has appropriate authorization to access this sensitive data file, creating an information disclosure weakness that directly violates security best practices for web application development.
This vulnerability operates at the application layer and demonstrates a fundamental flaw in the theme's security architecture, specifically related to improper access control mechanisms. The flaw allows unauthenticated remote attackers to directly access a file containing user account information without requiring any authentication credentials or authorization checks. The exposed data includes user_login values which can be used for credential stuffing attacks against other services, user_pass values that contain password hashes potentially leading to account compromise, and user_email values that can be used for social engineering or targeted phishing campaigns. The vulnerability directly maps to CWE-200 (Information Exposure) and CWE-284 (Improper Access Control) categories, with the potential to facilitate further attacks through the ATT&CK framework's credential access and reconnaissance phases.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond immediate credential theft to create cascading security risks within WordPress installations. Attackers can leverage the exposed user credentials to perform unauthorized actions including but not limited to account takeover, privilege escalation, and data manipulation within the WordPress environment. The presence of password hashes in the exposed file allows attackers to attempt offline password cracking or use the credentials in credential stuffing attacks against other platforms where users may have reused passwords. Additionally, the email addresses provide attackers with contact information for targeted social engineering attempts, potentially leading to more sophisticated attacks such as spear phishing or business email compromise campaigns. The vulnerability affects all WordPress installations using the affected theme version, making it particularly dangerous due to its widespread potential impact.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate remediation and long-term security improvements. The most effective immediate solution involves updating to the latest version of the ThemeMakers Almera theme where the access control issue has been addressed. Organizations should also implement proper file access controls by ensuring that sensitive data files are not directly accessible through web servers and are instead protected by appropriate authentication mechanisms. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls can help detect and block direct requests to sensitive file paths. Additionally, implementing proper input validation and access control checks within the theme code can prevent similar issues from occurring in the future. Regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to identify and remediate similar access control vulnerabilities, while also ensuring that all WordPress themes and plugins are kept up to date with the latest security patches to maintain a secure baseline environment.