CVE-2019-15832 in visitors-traffic-real-time-statistics Plugin
Summary
by MITRE
The visitors-traffic-real-time-statistics plugin before 1.13 for WordPress has CSRF.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/11/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-15832 affects the visitors-traffic-real-time-statistics plugin for WordPress, specifically versions prior to 1.13. This plugin is designed to provide real-time traffic statistics and visitor analytics for WordPress websites, making it a valuable tool for site administrators to monitor their online presence and user engagement patterns. The vulnerability stems from the plugin's failure to implement proper cross-site request forgery protection mechanisms, which creates a significant security risk for WordPress installations using this particular plugin version.
Cross-site request forgery represents a critical web application vulnerability where an attacker can trick authenticated users into executing unwanted actions on a web application where they are currently authenticated. In the context of this WordPress plugin, the absence of CSRF protection means that malicious actors can craft specially crafted requests that, when executed by an authenticated administrator or user with sufficient privileges, could result in unauthorized modifications to the plugin's configuration settings, data manipulation, or potentially even the complete compromise of the plugin's functionality. This flaw falls under the CWE-352 category, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery vulnerabilities and is classified as a fundamental weakness in web application security.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data corruption or configuration changes. An attacker exploiting this CSRF vulnerability could potentially manipulate the traffic statistics data, alter plugin settings that might affect website performance monitoring, or even gain unauthorized access to sensitive information that the plugin collects about website visitors. Since the plugin operates within the WordPress ecosystem, successful exploitation could provide attackers with a foothold to escalate their privileges or conduct further reconnaissance on the target website. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects the plugin's administrative functions, which are typically protected by authentication mechanisms, but the lack of CSRF protection undermines these security controls.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily involve updating to the patched version of the plugin, specifically version 1.13 or later, which would contain the necessary CSRF protection mechanisms. Administrators should also implement additional security measures such as role-based access controls, regular security audits of installed plugins, and monitoring for suspicious activities in the WordPress admin panel. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this type of vulnerability under the T1213 technique for Data from Information Repositories, as it involves unauthorized access to data managed by web applications. Security professionals should also consider implementing web application firewalls and additional monitoring solutions to detect and prevent exploitation attempts, while ensuring that all WordPress installations maintain up-to-date plugins and core software to prevent similar vulnerabilities from being exploited in the future.