CVE-2016-10971 in MemberSonic Lite Plugin
Summary
by MITRE
The MemberSonic Lite plugin before 1.302 for WordPress has incorrect login access control because only knowlewdge of an e-mail address is required.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/25/2023
The CVE-2016-10971 vulnerability affects the MemberSonic Lite plugin version 1.302 and earlier in the WordPress ecosystem, representing a critical access control flaw that undermines the security of user authentication mechanisms. This vulnerability stems from the plugin's implementation of login verification processes where the system only requires knowledge of a user's email address to grant access rather than enforcing proper authentication credentials. The flaw creates a significant security gap that allows unauthorized individuals to bypass traditional authentication barriers and potentially gain administrative access to WordPress sites. This issue directly violates fundamental security principles by eliminating the requirement for valid passwords or other authentication factors, creating an attack vector that can be exploited by threat actors seeking to compromise user accounts.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability lies in the plugin's authentication logic where the system validates user access based solely on email address existence within the database rather than enforcing proper credential verification. This design flaw creates a scenario where attackers can enumerate valid email addresses and subsequently gain unauthorized access to accounts without needing to know the corresponding passwords. The vulnerability operates at the application level within the WordPress plugin architecture, specifically targeting the authentication module of the MemberSonic Lite plugin. According to CWE classification, this represents a weakness in authentication mechanisms where the system fails to properly verify user credentials, falling under CWE-287 which addresses improper authentication issues. The vulnerability essentially creates a backdoor authentication path that bypasses standard security controls designed to protect user accounts.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-10971 extends beyond simple unauthorized access to encompass potential full site compromise and data breaches. Attackers exploiting this vulnerability can gain administrative privileges on affected WordPress sites, enabling them to modify content, steal sensitive user data, install malicious plugins, or even use compromised sites as launch points for further attacks within the network. The vulnerability also poses risks to user privacy and data integrity, as attackers can access personal information stored in user accounts without proper authorization. From an attacker's perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers legitimate credentials usage, as the attack leverages valid email addresses to establish unauthorized access. The flaw can be exploited through automated enumeration tools that test email addresses against the vulnerable plugin, making it particularly dangerous in environments where multiple user accounts exist and where email addresses are publicly available or easily discoverable.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-10971 require immediate action to update the MemberSonic Lite plugin to version 1.302 or later, which addresses the authentication flaw through proper credential verification mechanisms. System administrators should also implement additional security controls such as rate limiting for login attempts, two-factor authentication, and monitoring for unusual authentication patterns. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper authentication design principles and the need for security reviews of third-party plugins before deployment. Organizations should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify other potentially affected plugins and ensure that all WordPress installations maintain up-to-date security patches. Regular security audits and penetration testing can help identify similar authentication weaknesses in other applications and systems. The incident underscores the critical nature of proper access control implementation and the potential consequences of insufficient authentication mechanisms in web applications.