CVE-2019-19979 in WP Maintenance
Summary
by MITRE
A flaw in the WordPress plugin, WP Maintenance before 5.0.6, allowed attackers to enable a vulnerable site's maintenance mode and inject malicious code affecting site visitors. There was CSRF with resultant XSS.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/17/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-19979 represents a critical security flaw in the WP Maintenance plugin for WordPress systems prior to version 5.0.6. This issue stems from insufficient input validation and inadequate protection mechanisms within the plugin's administrative interface, creating a dangerous pathway for attackers to compromise vulnerable WordPress installations. The flaw specifically manifests through a cross-site request forgery vulnerability that enables unauthorized execution of administrative actions, ultimately leading to persistent cross-site scripting conditions that affect all site visitors.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs through a combination of inadequate anti-CSRF token validation and improper sanitization of user-supplied data within the plugin's maintenance mode activation functionality. Attackers can craft malicious requests that exploit the missing CSRF protection mechanisms, allowing them to trigger the plugin's maintenance mode activation without proper authorization. Once the maintenance mode is enabled, the vulnerability permits code injection that persists in the plugin's configuration or interface elements, creating a persistent XSS vector that executes whenever visitors access the compromised site. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-352, which categorizes cross-site request forgery flaws, and CWE-79, which addresses cross-site scripting vulnerabilities in web applications.
The operational impact of CVE-2019-19979 extends beyond simple code injection, as it provides attackers with a persistent foothold within compromised WordPress environments. Site visitors who encounter the malicious code injection experience potential data theft, credential harvesting, or redirection to malicious sites, while administrators face the risk of complete system compromise. The vulnerability's persistence through maintenance mode activation means that the malicious code remains active until the plugin is properly updated and the maintenance mode is disabled, creating extended exposure windows for attackers. This flaw particularly affects WordPress environments where users lack proper security awareness or administrative controls, making it a significant concern for both small business sites and enterprise-level deployments.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should prioritize immediate remediation through updating the WP Maintenance plugin to version 5.0.6 or later, which includes proper CSRF token validation and enhanced input sanitization. Security teams should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify any potential exploitation that may have occurred before patching, including monitoring for unusual administrative activities or unexpected maintenance mode activations. Network monitoring solutions should be configured to detect anomalous requests targeting the affected plugin's endpoints, and administrative access controls should be strengthened through multi-factor authentication and role-based access restrictions. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007, which covers scripting through web shell execution, and T1566.001, covering spearphishing through malicious attachments or links, as attackers can leverage the persistent XSS to deliver additional payloads or establish backdoors within compromised environments.