CVE-2024-2871 in Media Library Assistant Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 04/10/2024
The Media Library Assistant plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to SQL Injection via the plugin's shortcode(s) in all versions up to, and including, 3.13 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 contributor access or higher, 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 • 02/08/2025
The Media Library Assistant plugin for WordPress presents a critical SQL injection vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-2871 affecting all versions through 3.13. This vulnerability stems from inadequate input sanitization within the plugin's shortcode implementation where user-supplied parameters are not properly escaped before being incorporated into SQL queries. The flaw specifically manifests when authenticated attackers with contributor level privileges or higher execute maliciously crafted shortcodes that manipulate database query construction. The vulnerability falls under CWE-89 which categorizes improper neutralization of special elements used in SQL commands, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1213.002 for data from databases, representing a significant risk to WordPress installations relying on this plugin.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of shortcode parameters that are directly embedded into SQL query structures without proper parameterization or escaping mechanisms. Attackers with contributor access or higher can construct malicious inputs that append additional SQL clauses to existing database queries, potentially enabling unauthorized data extraction from the underlying database. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple information disclosure as it allows for potential data manipulation and can serve as a stepping stone for further compromise. The lack of prepared statement usage or proper query parameterization means that any user input flowing directly into SQL contexts creates an exploitable condition that can be leveraged to extract user credentials, media metadata, and other sensitive database contents.
The operational impact of CVE-2024-2871 represents a severe threat to WordPress environments where the Media Library Assistant plugin is deployed, particularly in multi-user environments where contributor privileges may be granted to less trusted users. The vulnerability's exploitation requires only authenticated access at the contributor level, making it particularly dangerous in environments where user access controls may be inadequately managed. Once exploited, attackers can potentially extract comprehensive database information including user accounts with their associated privileges, media library metadata, and other sensitive content that may include confidential organizational data. This vulnerability directly violates security principles of input validation and output encoding as outlined in OWASP Top Ten A03:2021 and represents a clear failure in secure coding practices that should be addressed through proper parameterization of database queries.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including updating to the latest version of the Media Library Assistant plugin where the vulnerability has been patched, implementing strict access controls to limit contributor privileges, and conducting comprehensive security audits of all installed WordPress plugins. Network monitoring should be enhanced to detect anomalous SQL query patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of proper security testing during plugin development cycles, particularly around input validation and query construction processes. Security teams should consider implementing web application firewalls with SQL injection detection capabilities as additional defensive measures while awaiting patch deployment, and should prioritize patching this vulnerability given its low exploit complexity and high potential impact.