bbPress < 2.5.13 - Unauthenticated Blind SQL Injection

2017-11-13 00:00
Slavco Mihajloski

Strategic Overview

Status
Patched in 2.5.13
Affected Plugin
bbPress
Affected Version
< 2.5.13
CVSS
8.3High
Weakness type
CWE-89 · Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection')
CVE
CVE pending
View all bbPress vulnerabilities

At a glance

This record tracks a high-severity Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection') vulnerability in the bbPress WordPress plugin, affecting versions < 2.5.13. It carries a CVSS score of 8.3 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity). Exploitation requires no authentication. The issue is fixed in version 2.5.13; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed November 2017, reported by Slavco Mihajloski.

Vulnerability Overview

The bbPress plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to blind SQL Injection via the ‘anonymous_data’ parameter in versions up to, and including, 2.5.12 due to insufficient escaping on the user supplied parameter and lack of sufficient preparation on the existing SQL query. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to append additional SQL queries into already existing queries that can be used to extract sensitive information from the database.

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-89: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection')

bbPress < 2.5.13 carries this weakness at anonymous_data, and reaching it takes no account at all. SQL injection happens when request data is concatenated into a query instead of being bound as a parameter, letting an attacker change the structure of the statement rather than just its values.

A working injection can read any table the database user can see, which on a WordPress install means user records, password hashes and session or API secrets stored in options. For bbPress the fix is 2.5.13: builds < 2.5.13 are affected, anything from 2.5.13 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 2.5.13, or a newer patched version

How does WordSec protect against this?

Requests carrying this pattern arrive without a session, so nothing upstream of the firewall gets a chance to reject them: WordSec's web application firewall inspects request payloads before WordPress loads them. None of that substitutes for the fix: bbPress 2.5.13 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

  • Firewall
  • Login Security
  • Alerts

External References

https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/5097da41-b5e9-4e07-a135-83a7d889fe9b

Related records

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