CVE-2016-10983 in ghost Plugin
Summary
by MITRE
The ghost plugin before 0.5.6 for WordPress has no access control for wp-admin/tools.php?ghostexport=true downloads of exported data.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/26/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-10983 affects the Ghost plugin for WordPress versions prior to 0.5.6, representing a critical access control flaw that compromises the security of exported data. This issue stems from the absence of proper authentication and authorization checks within the plugin's administrative interface, specifically in the tools.php endpoint where the ghostexport functionality is exposed. The vulnerability exists because the plugin fails to verify whether the requesting user possesses the necessary privileges to access or download exported data, creating an exploitable condition that allows unauthorized users to retrieve sensitive information.
The technical implementation of this flaw occurs within the WordPress administrative framework where the Ghost plugin extends the standard tools.php page to include a ghostexport parameter that triggers data export functionality. Without proper access control mechanisms, any visitor to the WordPress site can potentially access the export endpoint by simply appending the parameter to the URL, bypassing the standard WordPress user authentication and capability checks. This represents a classic lack of input validation and access control implementation that violates fundamental security principles and allows privilege escalation through unauthorized data access.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure, as it enables attackers to harvest potentially sensitive information that may include user credentials, personal data, or other confidential information processed through the WordPress platform. The vulnerability specifically affects the administrative export functionality, which could contain database records, user information, or other content that should only be accessible to authenticated administrators. This creates a significant risk for WordPress installations where the Ghost plugin is deployed without proper security hardening, as the vulnerability can be exploited by anyone with access to the website's public facing interface.
Security professionals should note that this vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which describes improper access control in software implementations, and represents a clear violation of the principle of least privilege. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a privilege escalation technique where an attacker can gain access to administrative functionality through the exploitation of insecure direct object references. Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including updating to Ghost plugin version 0.5.6 or later, which addresses the access control flaw through proper authentication checks, and implementing additional security measures such as restricting access to administrative endpoints through web application firewalls or network-level controls to prevent unauthorized access to the export functionality.
The remediation process requires immediate patching of the Ghost plugin to version 0.5.6 or higher where the access control has been properly implemented. Security administrators should also conduct thorough audits of all installed WordPress plugins to identify similar access control vulnerabilities and implement proper security monitoring to detect unauthorized access attempts to administrative endpoints. Additional defensive measures include implementing role-based access controls, regular security scanning of WordPress installations, and ensuring that all administrative interfaces require proper authentication before granting access to sensitive functionality. Organizations should also consider implementing automated patch management systems to ensure timely deployment of security updates across all WordPress installations.