CVE-2020-5579 in Paid Memberships
Summary
by MITRE
SQL injection vulnerability in the Paid Memberships versions prior to 2.3.3 allows attacker with administrator rights to execute arbitrary SQL commands via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/21/2020
The SQL injection vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-5579 affects the Paid Memberships plugin for WordPress, specifically targeting versions prior to 2.3.3. This vulnerability represents a critical security flaw that enables authenticated attackers with administrator privileges to execute arbitrary SQL commands against the underlying database. The issue stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization within the plugin's codebase, creating an avenue for malicious SQL payloads to be injected and executed with the highest level of database permissions available to the compromised account.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-89, which classifies SQL injection as a condition where user-provided input is directly incorporated into SQL queries without proper sanitization or parameterization. The attack vector operates through unspecified parameters within the plugin's administrative interfaces, suggesting that multiple entry points within the codebase may be susceptible to manipulation. This type of vulnerability typically occurs when developers concatenate user input directly into SQL statements rather than using prepared statements or parameterized queries, creating a direct pathway for attackers to manipulate database operations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted for affected organizations. An attacker with administrator access can leverage this flaw to extract sensitive data including user credentials, membership information, payment records, and personal identifiable information stored within the database. Beyond data exfiltration, the vulnerability enables attackers to modify or delete database records, potentially compromising the integrity of membership systems and financial transactions. The privilege escalation aspect means that even if an attacker initially gains access through other means, they can use this vulnerability to maintain persistent access and expand their control within the compromised WordPress environment.
Organizations should immediately implement the patch released in version 2.3.3 of the Paid Memberships plugin to remediate this vulnerability. The mitigation strategy should include comprehensive monitoring of administrative account activities and database access logs to detect potential exploitation attempts. Security teams should also conduct thorough code reviews of custom WordPress plugins and themes to identify similar SQL injection vulnerabilities that may exist in other components of their digital infrastructure. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date software versions and implementing proper input validation measures, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and T1046 for network service scanning that may precede such attacks. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing database activity monitoring solutions and web application firewalls to provide additional layers of defense against SQL injection attacks and other database-related threats.