CVE-2019-15871 in LoginPress Plugin
Summary
by MITRE
The LoginPress plugin before 1.1.4 for WordPress has no capability check for updates to settings.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/11/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-15871 resides within the LoginPress plugin for WordPress, specifically affecting versions prior to 1.1.4. This issue represents a critical authorization flaw that undermines the security posture of WordPress installations relying on this plugin. The vulnerability stems from the absence of proper capability checks within the plugin's update mechanisms, creating a pathway for unauthorized users to manipulate plugin settings without appropriate permissions. Such a flaw directly violates fundamental security principles of least privilege and access control that are essential for maintaining the integrity of content management systems.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability allows any user with access to the WordPress admin interface to modify plugin configurations without proper authentication or authorization verification. This occurs because the plugin fails to validate whether the requesting user possesses the necessary capabilities to perform setting updates. The flaw operates at the application level within WordPress's permission system, where user roles and capabilities should normally prevent unauthorized modifications to core plugin configurations. This weakness creates a direct vector for privilege escalation and configuration manipulation that can potentially lead to further compromise of the WordPress installation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple configuration changes, as it can enable attackers to manipulate login page behavior, modify authentication flows, and potentially introduce backdoors or other malicious configurations. An attacker exploiting this vulnerability could alter the plugin's settings to disable security features, redirect users to malicious sites, or modify the login experience in ways that facilitate further attacks. The lack of capability checks means that even users with minimal privileges could potentially cause significant disruption to the site's authentication mechanisms, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous in multi-user environments where different privilege levels exist.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2019-15871 require immediate action to upgrade the LoginPress plugin to version 1.1.4 or later, where proper capability checks have been implemented. System administrators should also review existing user permissions and roles to ensure that only trusted administrators have access to plugin configuration interfaces. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which describes improper access control, and corresponds to ATT&CK technique T1078.004, which covers valid accounts with compromised credentials. Organizations should implement comprehensive monitoring for unauthorized configuration changes and establish regular security audits of installed plugins to identify similar authorization flaws. Additionally, the incident underscores the importance of maintaining up-to-date security practices and the necessity of thorough code review processes to prevent such capability bypass vulnerabilities in WordPress plugins.