CVE-2019-25060 in WPGraphQL Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 05/09/2022
The WPGraphQL WordPress plugin before 0.3.5 doesn't properly restrict access to information about other users' roles on the affected site. Because of this, a remote attacker could forge a GraphQL query to retrieve the account roles of every user on the site.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/12/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-25060 affects the WPGraphQL WordPress plugin version 0.3.4 and earlier, representing a critical access control flaw that undermines the security posture of WordPress installations. This issue stems from insufficient authorization checks within the GraphQL endpoint implementation, allowing unauthenticated or low-privilege users to execute malicious queries that expose sensitive user role information across the entire site. The vulnerability specifically targets the plugin's handling of user data retrieval through GraphQL queries, creating a pathway for attackers to enumerate user accounts and their corresponding permissions without proper authentication.
The technical flaw manifests in the plugin's failure to implement proper access control validation when processing GraphQL requests related to user information. According to CWE-285, this represents an authorization vulnerability where the system does not properly verify that the requesting user has sufficient privileges to access the requested resource. The WPGraphQL plugin's GraphQL schema exposes user role data through its query interface without adequate permission checking mechanisms, enabling attackers to craft malicious GraphQL queries that traverse user relationships and retrieve role information for all accounts. This flaw aligns with ATT&CK technique T1087.001 which involves account discovery through enumeration of user accounts and their associated permissions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it provides attackers with valuable reconnaissance data for subsequent attacks. By obtaining user role information, an attacker can identify administrator accounts, editors, and other privileged users, enabling targeted social engineering campaigns or privilege escalation attempts. The vulnerability affects any WordPress site running the vulnerable plugin version, making it particularly dangerous in multi-user environments where user role hierarchy is critical for system security. Attackers can systematically query the GraphQL endpoint to map out the entire user base and their permission levels, potentially identifying high-value targets for further exploitation.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2019-25060 involve immediate patching of the WPGraphQL plugin to version 0.3.5 or later, which includes proper access control measures. System administrators should also implement network-level restrictions to limit access to the GraphQL endpoint, particularly in production environments where unauthorized access could be catastrophic. Additional defensive measures include monitoring GraphQL query patterns for suspicious activity, implementing rate limiting to prevent automated enumeration attempts, and conducting regular security audits of WordPress plugins to ensure they meet current security standards. The vulnerability underscores the importance of proper access control implementation in API endpoints and highlights the need for comprehensive security testing of third-party plugins before deployment in production environments.