CVE-2019-15824 in wps-hide-login Plugin
Summary
by MITRE
The wps-hide-login plugin before 1.5.3 for WordPress has an adminhash protection bypass.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/11/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-15824 affects the wps-hide-login WordPress plugin version 1.5.2 and earlier, presenting a critical security flaw that undermines the plugin's intended protection mechanisms. This plugin is designed to hide WordPress login pages and admin areas from unauthorized access by implementing administrative hash protection, which should prevent direct access to wp-login.php and wp-admin endpoints. The bypass occurs when attackers can circumvent the hash-based authentication mechanism that should restrict access to these sensitive areas. The flaw represents a significant weakness in the plugin's security architecture, as it allows unauthorized users to gain administrative access to WordPress installations that rely on this protection method. The vulnerability directly impacts the core security model of the plugin, which is specifically built to address the common issue of brute force attacks and unauthorized access to WordPress administrative interfaces.
The technical implementation of this bypass involves a flaw in how the plugin validates administrative hashes, potentially allowing attackers to access protected admin areas through predictable patterns or by exploiting weaknesses in the hash generation or validation process. The vulnerability likely stems from improper input sanitization or validation routines that fail to properly verify the authenticity of administrative credentials or hash values. This weakness enables attackers to bypass the intended access controls that should prevent unauthorized individuals from reaching the WordPress administration interface. The flaw may be related to insufficient cryptographic practices or predictable hash generation methods that allow attackers to either brute force the hash values or exploit timing-based vulnerabilities in the validation process. The vulnerability demonstrates a failure in proper authentication flow implementation, where the plugin's security mechanism can be circumvented through direct exploitation of the hash verification logic.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as it enables attackers to potentially escalate privileges and gain full administrative control over affected WordPress installations. Attackers can exploit this bypass to access sensitive administrative functions, modify content, install malicious plugins, or compromise the entire WordPress environment. The vulnerability affects WordPress sites that rely on the wps-hide-login plugin for protection against unauthorized access, making them vulnerable to automated attacks and brute force attempts that can lead to complete system compromise. The bypass allows attackers to gain access to critical WordPress administrative functions without proper authentication, potentially leading to data breaches, website defacement, or the installation of malicious code. This vulnerability directly conflicts with the principle of least privilege and can result in significant business disruption, data loss, and reputational damage for affected organizations.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2019-15824 require immediate action to update the wps-hide-login plugin to version 1.5.3 or later, which contains the necessary security patches to address the hash protection bypass. Organizations should implement additional security measures such as multi-factor authentication, IP whitelisting, and enhanced monitoring of login attempts to reduce the risk of exploitation. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input validation and cryptographic implementation in security plugins, as outlined in CWE-284 for improper access control and CWE-312 for exposure of sensitive data. Security teams should also consider implementing web application firewalls and intrusion detection systems to monitor for exploitation attempts. Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments of WordPress plugins are essential to prevent similar issues, as this vulnerability demonstrates the critical need for proper authentication mechanism validation. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under privilege escalation techniques, specifically targeting the credential access and defense evasion tactics that attackers use to gain unauthorized administrative access to web applications. Organizations must also ensure proper patch management procedures are in place to quickly address similar vulnerabilities in the future.