CVE-2023-5082 in History Log Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 11/06/2023
The History Log by click5 WordPress plugin before 1.0.13 does not properly sanitise and escape a parameter before using it in a SQL statement, leading to a SQL injection exploitable by admin users when using the Smash Balloon Social Photo Feed plugin alongside it.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/27/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-5082 affects the History Log by click5 WordPress plugin version 1.0.12 and earlier, creating a critical security risk through improper input sanitization practices. This flaw exists within the plugin's handling of user-supplied parameters that are subsequently incorporated into SQL queries without adequate sanitization or escaping mechanisms. The vulnerability becomes particularly dangerous when the plugin operates in conjunction with the Smash Balloon Social Photo Feed plugin, as this combination creates a pathway for authenticated administrative users to exploit the weakness.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the plugin's failure to properly validate and sanitize user input before incorporating it into database queries. When the History Log plugin processes data from the Smash Balloon Social Photo Feed plugin, it accepts parameters that should be treated as untrusted input and subjected to proper sanitization procedures. The lack of input validation allows maliciously crafted parameters to be injected directly into SQL statements, potentially enabling attackers to manipulate database operations through SQL injection techniques. This weakness directly maps to CWE-89 which specifically addresses SQL injection vulnerabilities where insufficient input validation allows attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it requires only administrative privileges to exploit, making it particularly dangerous in environments where admin accounts may be compromised or where privilege escalation is possible. An attacker with administrative access can leverage this vulnerability to execute arbitrary database commands, potentially leading to data exfiltration, data manipulation, or even full system compromise. The attack surface is further expanded when considering that the vulnerability requires the presence of the Smash Balloon Social Photo Feed plugin, which is commonly used and may be present on many WordPress installations, increasing the potential exposure.
The exploitation of this vulnerability follows standard SQL injection attack patterns where an attacker crafts malicious input that, when processed by the History Log plugin, alters the intended SQL query execution flow. The attack vector specifically targets the interaction between the two plugins, where parameters from the Smash Balloon plugin are passed through to the History Log plugin without proper sanitization. This creates a chain of trust that allows the attacker to inject SQL commands that can access, modify, or delete database content. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts and T1046 which addresses network service scanning, as the exploitation may involve both account compromise and database access manipulation.
Organizations should immediately update the History Log by click5 plugin to version 1.0.13 or later, which contains the necessary sanitization fixes to prevent parameter injection. Additionally, administrators should conduct comprehensive audits of their WordPress installations to identify all instances of the vulnerable plugin and ensure proper plugin management practices are in place. The remediation process should include verifying that all plugin dependencies are also updated to their latest secure versions, particularly the Smash Balloon Social Photo Feed plugin. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual database query patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, and access controls should be reviewed to ensure that only necessary administrative privileges are granted to users. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the importance of proper input validation and the potential risks that arise from plugin interdependencies in WordPress environments.