CVE-2016-4905 in WP-OliveCart
Summary
by MITRE
SQL injection vulnerability in the WP-OliveCart versions prior to 3.1.3 and WP-OliveCartPro versions prior to 3.1.8 allows attackers with administrator rights to execute arbitrary SQL commands via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/25/2020
The CVE-2016-4905 vulnerability represents a critical SQL injection flaw within the WP-OliveCart plugin ecosystem, specifically affecting versions prior to 3.1.3 for the standard plugin and 3.1.8 for the Pro version. This vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization mechanisms within the plugin's database interaction components, creating a pathway for malicious SQL command execution. The flaw is particularly concerning as it requires only administrator-level access to exploit, meaning that an attacker who has already compromised administrative credentials can leverage this vulnerability to escalate their privileges and potentially gain complete control over the affected WordPress installation. The vulnerability operates through unspecified vectors, suggesting that the attack surface may encompass multiple entry points within the plugin's administrative interface or API endpoints that process user-supplied data.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-89, which specifically addresses SQL injection flaws where untrusted data is directly incorporated into SQL queries without proper sanitization or parameterization. This weakness enables attackers to manipulate database queries by injecting malicious SQL code through input fields or parameters that are not properly validated. The vulnerability's exploitation requires an attacker to possess administrative privileges, which typically means they have already compromised the WordPress admin interface through methods such as credential theft, privilege escalation, or other initial compromise techniques. However, once these credentials are obtained, the SQL injection vulnerability provides an additional attack vector that can be used to bypass authentication mechanisms, extract sensitive data, modify database contents, or even execute arbitrary commands on the underlying database server. The attack methodology likely involves crafting malicious payloads that exploit the plugin's handling of user input within database operations, potentially allowing for data exfiltration, account manipulation, or full database compromise.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft, as it can enable attackers to establish persistent backdoors within the WordPress environment, manipulate customer data, and potentially use the compromised system as a launchpad for further attacks within the network. The vulnerability's presence in both standard and Pro versions of WP-OliveCart indicates a fundamental flaw in the plugin's architecture that affects a broad user base. Organizations using these plugin versions face significant risk, as the vulnerability can be exploited to access sensitive customer information, payment data, and other confidential business information stored within the WordPress database. The exploitation of this vulnerability can also result in service disruption, data corruption, and compliance violations, particularly in industries subject to regulations such as pci dss or gdpr that mandate protection of sensitive data. The vulnerability's impact is further amplified by the fact that many WordPress installations may not have proper monitoring or intrusion detection in place to detect such database manipulation activities.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-4905 primarily focus on immediate remediation through plugin updates to versions 3.1.3 or later for the standard plugin and 3.1.8 or later for the Pro version, which contain the necessary patches to address the SQL injection vulnerability. Organizations should also implement comprehensive input validation and sanitization measures within their WordPress environments, ensuring that all user-supplied data is properly escaped or parameterized before being processed by database queries. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual database activity patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, including unexpected query execution, data access patterns, or unauthorized database modifications. Additionally, administrators should enforce the principle of least privilege by ensuring that only necessary personnel have administrative access to WordPress installations, and that multi-factor authentication is implemented to protect administrative accounts. Network segmentation and web application firewalls should be deployed to monitor and filter potentially malicious SQL injection attempts, while regular security audits and penetration testing can help identify similar vulnerabilities within the WordPress ecosystem. The vulnerability also underscores the importance of keeping all WordPress plugins and themes updated, as many security issues stem from outdated third-party components that may not receive regular security updates from their developers.