CVE-2020-12675 in mappress-google-maps-for-wordpress Plugin
Summary
by MITRE
The mappress-google-maps-for-wordpress plugin before 2.54.6 for WordPress does not correctly implement capability checks for AJAX functions related to creation/retrieval/deletion of PHP template files, leading to Remote Code Execution. NOTE: this issue exists because of an incomplete fix for CVE-2020-12077.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/30/2020
The mappress-google-maps-for-wordpress plugin vulnerability CVE-2020-12675 represents a critical authorization bypass flaw that enables unauthenticated remote code execution through improper capability validation in AJAX endpoints. This vulnerability specifically affects versions prior to 2.54.6 and stems from an incomplete remediation of a previously identified issue CVE-2020-12077, demonstrating the complexity of addressing privilege escalation vulnerabilities in WordPress plugins. The flaw manifests in the plugin's handling of PHP template file operations including creation, retrieval, and deletion functions that are exposed via AJAX interfaces without proper user authentication checks.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability resides in the plugin's AJAX handler functions that process template file operations. These functions fail to verify whether the requesting user possesses appropriate administrative privileges before executing potentially dangerous file system operations. The lack of capability checks means that any remote attacker can exploit these endpoints to manipulate PHP template files on the target WordPress installation, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution through the manipulation of template contents or by creating malicious template files that get executed by the WordPress environment. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-285, which addresses improper authorization issues, and specifically relates to CWE-749, which covers exposed dangerous methods or functions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it allows attackers to achieve complete compromise of WordPress installations without requiring valid user credentials. Attackers can leverage this flaw to upload malicious PHP files, modify existing template files to inject backdoors, or manipulate the plugin's functionality to execute arbitrary code on the target server. The vulnerability's persistence through an incomplete fix for CVE-2020-12077 suggests that the development team may have misunderstood the scope of the original security issue, leaving residual attack vectors that can be exploited by threat actors. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter and T1505.003 for server-side injection, as it enables attackers to execute code on the web server through template manipulation.
The remediation for this vulnerability requires immediate upgrade to version 2.54.6 or later, which contains proper capability checks for all AJAX endpoints related to template file operations. Organizations should also implement additional security measures including restricting access to plugin AJAX endpoints through web application firewalls, monitoring for suspicious file creation patterns, and ensuring that WordPress core, themes, and plugins are regularly updated to address known vulnerabilities. Security teams should conduct thorough penetration testing to verify that no other similar authorization bypass issues exist within the WordPress ecosystem and implement proper input validation and output encoding to prevent similar issues in the future. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of comprehensive security testing and proper capability validation in web applications, particularly those that expose AJAX interfaces for administrative functions.