CVE-2019-25218 in Photo Gallery Slideshow & Masonry Tiled Gallery Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 10/19/2024
The Photo Gallery Slideshow & Masonry Tiled Gallery plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to SQL Injection via the 'id' parameter in all versions up to, and including, 1.0.3 due to insufficient escaping on the user supplied parameter and lack of sufficient preparation on the existing SQL query. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Administrator-level access and above, to append additional SQL queries into already existing queries that can be used to extract sensitive information from the database.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/31/2024
The Photo Gallery Slideshow & Masonry Tiled Gallery plugin for WordPress represents a widely used content management system extension that allows users to create visual galleries and photo displays on their websites. This particular plugin version 1.0.3 and earlier contains a critical security flaw that compromises the integrity of WordPress installations. The vulnerability manifests through improper input validation and sanitization mechanisms within the plugin's database query processing functionality, creating an exploitable condition that can be leveraged by malicious actors with administrative privileges.
The technical flaw resides in the plugin's handling of the 'id' parameter within its SQL query execution process. When an authenticated attacker with administrator-level access submits a request containing a specially crafted 'id' value, the plugin fails to properly escape or sanitize this input before incorporating it into the existing SQL query structure. This lack of input sanitization creates a classic SQL injection vulnerability where malicious SQL code can be injected into the database query execution flow. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-89 which specifically addresses SQL injection flaws in software applications, making it a well-documented and dangerous security weakness in database interaction code.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data extraction capabilities and represents a severe threat to WordPress site security and data integrity. An attacker with administrator access can leverage this vulnerability to perform unauthorized database operations including but not limited to data enumeration, unauthorized data modification, and potential privilege escalation within the database system. The injected SQL queries can be designed to extract sensitive information such as user credentials, administrative session tokens, and other confidential data stored within the WordPress database. This vulnerability directly aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts and privilege escalation through database access manipulation.
Organizations using this vulnerable plugin face significant risk of data breaches and unauthorized access to their WordPress installations. The requirement for administrator-level access to exploit this vulnerability means that the attack vector typically involves compromised administrative credentials or insider threats. However, the severity of the impact makes this vulnerability particularly dangerous even with such access requirements. Security teams should immediately implement mitigation strategies including plugin updates to versions that address the SQL injection flaw, implementation of web application firewalls, and comprehensive monitoring for suspicious database query patterns. Additionally, regular security audits and input validation reviews should be conducted to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in other plugin components or custom developed WordPress functionality.