CVE-2012-4422

WordPress Core < 3.4.2 - Missing Authorization Checks

2012-09-06 00:00

Strategic Overview

Status: Patched in 3.4.2
Affected Core: WordPress 3.4
Affected Version: <= 3.4.1
CVSS: 3.8Low
Weakness type: CWE-862 · Missing Authorization
CVE: CVE-2012-4422

At a glance

CVE-2012-4422 is a low-severity Missing Authorization vulnerability in the WordPress 3.4 WordPress release line, affecting <= 3.4.1. It carries a CVSS score of 3.8 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity). The root cause is a missing authorization check on a reachable function. The issue is fixed in version 3.4.2; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed September 2012.

Vulnerability Overview

wp-admin/plugins.php in WordPress before 3.4.2, when the multisite feature is enabled, does not check for network-administrator privileges before performing a network-wide activation of an installed plugin, which might allow remote authenticated users to make unintended plugin changes by leveraging the Administrator role.

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 interaction from a victim user.

CWE-862: Missing Authorization

Reaching this weakness in WordPress 3.4 <= 3.4.1 takes a caller who can reach the endpoint. A missing authorization check means a function is reachable by anyone who can reach the endpoint, because the code never asks whether the caller is allowed to perform the action.

Any user who can reach the endpoint gets to run an action reserved for higher-privileged roles, from reading protected data to changing settings or content. For WordPress 3.4 the fix is 3.4.2: builds <= 3.4.1 are affected, anything from 3.4.2 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 3.4.2, or a newer patched version

How does WordSec protect against this?

Because it turns on account access, WordSec's login security is the relevant layer: role-based two-factor, captcha and brute-force limits raise the cost of getting the account this needs. None of that substitutes for the fix: updating to 3.4.2 is the step that ends it.

Login Security
Alerts

External References

https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2012-4422 https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/342370a0-9364-40cd-9556-e53312e67548 https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2012-4422

Related records

Same weakness class

Other vulnerabilities in WordPress 3.4

CVSS Vector

3.8

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:L

Base

Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges RequiredHigh
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
ConfidentialityNone
IntegrityLow
AvailabilityLow

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