rtMedia for WordPress, BuddyPress and bbPress < 3.7.40 - SQL Injection

2015-04-28 00:00
James Hooker

Strategic Overview

Status
Patched in 3.7.40
Affected Plugin
rtMedia for WordPress, BuddyPress and bbPress
Affected Version
< 3.7.40
CVSS
9.8Critical
Weakness type
CWE-89 · Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection')
CVE
CVE pending
View all rtMedia for WordPress, BuddyPress and bbPress vulnerabilities

At a glance

This record tracks a critical-severity Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection') vulnerability in the rtMedia for WordPress, BuddyPress and bbPress WordPress plugin, affecting versions < 3.7.40. It carries a CVSS score of 9.8 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity; high confidentiality, integrity, availability impact). Exploitation requires no authentication. The issue is fixed in version 3.7.40; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed April 2015, reported by James Hooker.

Vulnerability Overview

The rtMedia for WordPress, BuddyPress and bbPress plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to generic SQL Injection via the ‘rtmedia_activity_upgrade’ method in versions up to, and including, 3.7.39 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. 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')

rtMedia for WordPress, BuddyPress and bbPress < 3.7.40 carries this weakness at rtmedia_activity_upgrade, and reaching it takes a caller who can reach the endpoint. 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 rtMedia for WordPress, BuddyPress and bbPress the fix is 3.7.40: builds < 3.7.40 are affected, anything from 3.7.40 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 3.7.40, or a newer patched version

How does WordSec protect against this?

The attempt arrives as an ordinary request to rtMedia for WordPress, BuddyPress and bbPress: WordSec's web application firewall inspects request payloads before WordPress loads them. None of that substitutes for the fix: rtMedia for WordPress, BuddyPress and bbPress 3.7.40 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

  • Firewall
  • Alerts

External References

https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/9ba74e58-0647-4283-9fa3-428976c54474

Related records

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