CVE-2011-3126

WordPress Core < 3.1.3 - Username Enumeration

2011-05-25 00:00
Verónica Valeros

Strategic Overview

Status
Patched in 3.1.3
Affected Core
WordPress 3.1
Affected Version
<= 3.1.2
CVSS
5.3Medium
Weakness type
CWE-204 · Observable Response Discrepancy
CVE
CVE-2011-3126
View all WordPress 3.1 vulnerabilities

At a glance

CVE-2011-3126 is a medium-severity Observable Response Discrepancy vulnerability in the WordPress 3.1 WordPress release line, affecting <= 3.1.2. It carries a CVSS score of 5.3 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity). Exploitation requires no authentication. The issue is fixed in version 3.1.3; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed May 2011, reported by Verónica Valeros.

Vulnerability Overview

WordPress 3.1 before 3.1.3 and 3.2 before Beta 2 allows remote attackers to determine usernames of non-authors via canonical redirects.

Technical Analysis

The vector marks this flaw as remotely reachable over the network, with low attack complexity — no special timing or configuration is needed, and no privileges on the target site, and no interaction from a victim user.

CWE-204: Observable Response Discrepancy

Reaching this weakness in WordPress 3.1 <= 3.1.2 takes a caller who can reach the endpoint. An observable response discrepancy means the system answers two different situations in two distinguishable ways, so the difference itself carries information the caller was not meant to have.

An attacker enumerates valid accounts, emails or records by reading the difference, which turns a blind guess into a targeted one before any password is tried. For WordPress 3.1 the fix is 3.1.3: builds <= 3.1.2 are affected, anything from 3.1.3 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 3.1.3, or a newer patched version

How does WordSec protect against this?

The fix is the thing that ends this: updating to 3.1.3 is the step that ends it.

  • Alerts

External References

Related records

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