CVE-2018-1000511 in WP ULike
Summary
by MITRE
WP ULike version 2.8.1, 3.1 contains a Incorrect Access Control vulnerability in AJAX that can result in allows anybody to delete any row in certain tables. This attack appear to be exploitable via Attacker must make AJAX request. This vulnerability appears to have been fixed in 3.2.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/22/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-1000511 affects WP ULike plugin versions 2.8.1 and 3.1, representing a critical access control flaw that undermines the security of WordPress installations. This vulnerability exists within the plugin's AJAX handling mechanism and allows unauthorized users to perform destructive actions against database tables. The flaw stems from insufficient authorization checks during AJAX requests, enabling attackers to manipulate the system through crafted API calls that target specific database operations.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a classic improper access control scenario where the plugin fails to validate user permissions before executing delete operations. When an attacker submits a malicious AJAX request, the system processes the request without verifying whether the user possesses the necessary privileges to delete records from the targeted tables. This weakness directly aligns with CWE-285, which categorizes improper authorization as a fundamental security flaw that allows unauthorized access to protected resources. The vulnerability specifically targets the plugin's database interaction layer where user engagement data is stored, potentially compromising the integrity of user activity logs and engagement metrics.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data deletion, as it can result in complete disruption of user engagement tracking and potentially expose sensitive information about user behavior patterns. Attackers can exploit this weakness to remove all records from specific database tables, effectively erasing user likes, dislikes, or other engagement data that the plugin tracks. This compromise undermines the plugin's core functionality and can lead to data loss that affects both administrators and end users who rely on these engagement metrics for content analysis and user behavior insights. The vulnerability's exploitation requires only a simple AJAX request, making it particularly dangerous as it can be automated and executed with minimal technical expertise.
The remediation for this vulnerability was implemented in version 3.2 of the WP ULike plugin, where developers introduced proper access control checks for all AJAX endpoints. This fix aligns with security best practices outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and follows the principle of least privilege by ensuring that only authenticated and authorized users can perform destructive database operations. Organizations should immediately upgrade to version 3.2 or later to mitigate this risk, as the vulnerability remains exploitable in older versions. Security teams should also implement monitoring for suspicious AJAX requests and consider implementing additional access controls at the web application firewall level to detect and prevent exploitation attempts. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of validating user permissions in all interactive web application components, particularly those handling user-generated content and engagement data.