CVE-2014-4944

BSK PDF Manager <= 1.4 - Authenticated SQL Injection

2014-08-01 00:00

Strategic Overview

Status: Patched in 1.5
Affected Plugin: BSK PDF Manager
Affected Version: < 1.5
CVSS: 9.9Critical
Weakness type: CWE-89 · Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection')
CVE: CVE-2014-4944

View all BSK PDF Manager vulnerabilities

At a glance

CVE-2014-4944 is a critical-severity Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection') vulnerability in the BSK PDF Manager WordPress plugin, affecting versions < 1.5. It carries a CVSS score of 9.9 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity; high confidentiality, integrity, availability impact). Exploitation requires an authenticated account. The issue is fixed in version 1.5; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed August 2014, reported by Claudio Viviani.

Vulnerability Overview

Multiple SQL injection vulnerabilities in inc/bsk-pdf-dashboard.php in the BSK PDF Manager plugin 1.3.2 for WordPress allow remote authenticated users to execute arbitrary SQL commands via the (1) categoryid or (2) pdfid parameter to wp-admin/admin.php.

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. A successful exploit has high impact on confidentiality, integrity, availability — full site compromise territory.

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

Reaching this weakness in BSK PDF Manager < 1.5 takes any authenticated account. 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 BSK PDF Manager the fix is 1.5: builds < 1.5 are affected, anything from 1.5 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 1.5, or a newer patched version

How does WordSec protect against this?

The attempt arrives as an ordinary request to BSK PDF Manager: WordSec's web application firewall inspects request payloads before WordPress loads them. None of that substitutes for the fix: BSK PDF Manager 1.5 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

Firewall
Alerts

External References

https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2014-4944 https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/0b748dc9-4d44-41dd-b159-380214e7646a https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2014-4944

Related records

Same weakness class

7.2CVE-2021-24860: BSK PDF Manager <= 3.1.1 Admin+ SQL InjectionCVE-2021-24860

Other vulnerabilities in BSK PDF Manager

CVSS Vector

9.9

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

Base

Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges RequiredLow
User InteractionNone
ScopeChanged
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityHigh
AvailabilityHigh

This record contains material that is subject to copyright

CVE Usage: MITRE hereby grants you a perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive, no-charge, royalty-free, irrevocable copyright license to reproduce, prepare derivative works of, publicly display, publicly perform, sublicense, and distribute Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE®). Any copy you make for such purposes is authorized provided that you reproduce MITRE's copyright designation and this license in any such copy.

https://www.cve.org/Legal/TermsOfUse

Defiant hereby grants you a perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive, no-charge, royalty-free, irrevocable copyright license to reproduce, prepare derivative works of, publicly display, publicly perform, sublicense, and distribute this software vulnerability information. Any copy of the software vulnerability information you make for such purposes is authorized provided that you include a hyperlink to this vulnerability record and reproduce Defiant's copyright designation and this license in any such copy.

https://www.wordfence.com/wordfence-intelligence-terms-and-conditions/