Executive Summary
A SQL injection vulnerability was discovered in the Content Views WordPress plugin before version 4.5. This vulnerability allows any authenticated user, including Subscribers, to perform SQL injection attacks due to a lack of capability checks on one of its AJAX actions and improper sanitization of attacker-supplied data. The vulnerability has a CVSS score of 8.1, indicating a high severity level.
Technical Analysis
The vulnerability class is a SQL injection attack. The attack vector involves an authenticated user, including Subscribers, who can trigger the flaw by sending a crafted request to one of the plugin's AJAX actions. The root cause of the vulnerability is the lack of capability checks and improper sanitization of user-supplied data before using it in a SQL query.
How It Gets Exploited
An attacker with authenticated access, including a Subscriber, can exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted request to one of the plugin's AJAX actions. The request would contain malicious SQL code, which would not be properly sanitized by the plugin. When the plugin processes the request, it would execute the malicious SQL code, potentially allowing the attacker to extract or modify sensitive data in the database.
Impact Assessment
The vulnerability affects the Content Views WordPress plugin before version 4.5. Any authenticated user, including Subscribers, can exploit this vulnerability to perform SQL injection attacks. The potential impact includes unauthorized access to sensitive data, modification of database contents, and potentially, privilege escalation. The CVSS score of 8.1 indicates a high severity level.
Recommended Actions
To mitigate this vulnerability, it is recommended to update the Content Views WordPress plugin to version 4.5 or later. Additionally, users should ensure that all users with access to the WordPress site have the lowest possible privileges, and monitor for any suspicious activity on the site.
Sources
- National Vulnerability Database (NVD)
- WPScan