CVE-2016-10899 in total-security Plugin
Summary
by MITRE
The total-security plugin before 3.4.1 for WordPress has a settings-change vulnerability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/27/2023
The CVE-2016-10899 vulnerability affects the total-security plugin for WordPress versions prior to 3.4.1, representing a critical configuration management flaw that undermines the security posture of affected websites. This vulnerability specifically targets the plugin's handling of administrative settings changes, creating a pathway for unauthorized modification of security configurations that could severely compromise the integrity of WordPress installations. The issue stems from inadequate input validation and access control mechanisms within the plugin's settings management interface, allowing attackers to manipulate security parameters without proper authentication or authorization.
The technical flaw manifests as a lack of proper privilege checks during settings modification operations, enabling malicious actors to exploit the vulnerability through crafted requests that bypass standard WordPress administrative controls. This weakness falls under the category of insufficient authorization checks, which aligns with CWE-285, and represents a classic example of improper access control in web applications. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to modify security settings such as firewall rules, authentication parameters, and other protective measures that are critical for maintaining the security of WordPress environments. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple configuration changes, as it allows for potential elevation of privileges and can facilitate further exploitation attempts within the compromised system.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to WordPress administrators who rely on the total-security plugin to protect their sites from various threats. The ability to modify security settings without proper authentication creates a persistent threat vector that could remain undetected for extended periods, allowing attackers to weaken security controls gradually. This vulnerability directly impacts the principle of least privilege and can lead to complete compromise of the affected WordPress installation, particularly when combined with other exploitation techniques. The attack surface expands significantly as the vulnerability affects not just individual settings but the entire security framework that the plugin is designed to protect.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigation strategies including immediate patching to version 3.4.1 or later, which addresses the settings change vulnerability through proper access control validation. Additional defensive measures include monitoring for unauthorized configuration changes, implementing network-level restrictions on plugin access points, and conducting thorough security audits of WordPress installations. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and access control implementation in web applications, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and T1566 for credential harvesting. Administrators should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block malicious requests targeting known WordPress plugin vulnerabilities, while maintaining regular security assessments to identify similar configuration weaknesses in other installed plugins and themes.