CVE-2016-10876 in wp-database-backup Plugin
Summary
by MITRE
The wp-database-backup plugin before 4.3.1 for WordPress has CSRF.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/23/2023
The wp-database-backup plugin for WordPress prior to version 4.3.1 contains a cross-site request forgery vulnerability that allows unauthorized users to perform administrative actions on behalf of authenticated users without their knowledge or consent. This vulnerability exists due to the absence of proper anti-CSRF protection mechanisms within the plugin's administrative interfaces, making it susceptible to exploitation by malicious actors who can craft malicious requests that appear to originate from legitimate administrators.
The technical flaw stems from the plugin's failure to implement cryptographic tokens or other validation mechanisms to verify that requests are genuinely initiated by authenticated users. When administrators access the plugin's backup or restore functionality, the system does not validate the authenticity of the request source, allowing attackers to construct malicious web pages or emails that automatically submit requests to the vulnerable plugin endpoints. This lack of input validation and request verification creates a pathway for attackers to execute unauthorized operations such as creating database backups, restoring databases, or modifying plugin configurations without proper authorization.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it can lead to complete compromise of WordPress installations through unauthorized database modifications. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to restore malicious database content, potentially introducing malware or backdoors into the system, or to create unauthorized backups that can be used for data exfiltration. The vulnerability affects not just the database backup functionality but also potentially other administrative operations within the plugin, as the CSRF protection mechanisms are likely absent from multiple endpoints. This type of vulnerability can be particularly dangerous in environments where administrators regularly perform administrative tasks, as the attack surface increases with the frequency of administrative interactions.
Organizations should immediately upgrade to version 4.3.1 or later of the wp-database-backup plugin to remediate this vulnerability. The fix typically involves implementing proper CSRF token validation mechanisms, ensuring that all administrative requests include and validate unique tokens that prevent unauthorized request execution. Security professionals should also implement additional monitoring for suspicious administrative activities and consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block potential CSRF attack patterns. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses cross-site request forgery flaws in web applications, and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter usage in exploitation. Organizations should also consider implementing principle of least privilege access controls and regular security audits to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities across their WordPress installations.