Cardoza AJAX Search < 1.3 - Unauthenticated SQL Injection
Strategic Overview
- Status
- Patched in 1.3
- Affected Plugin
- Cardoza AJAX Search
- Affected Version
< 1.3- CVSS
- 9.8Critical
- Weakness type
- CWE-89 · Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection')
- CVE
CVE-2012-5853
At a glance
CVE-2012-5853 is a critical-severity Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection') vulnerability in the Cardoza AJAX Search WordPress plugin, affecting versions < 1.3. 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 1.3; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed November 2012, reported by Marcela Benetrix.
Vulnerability Overview
SQL injection vulnerability in the "the_search_function" function in cardoza_ajax_search.php in the AJAX Post Search (cardoza-ajax-search) plugin before 1.3 for WordPress allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands via the srch_txt parameter in a "the_search_text" action to wp-admin/admin-ajax.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 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')
Cardoza AJAX Search < 1.3 carries this weakness at the_search_function, 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 Cardoza AJAX Search the fix is 1.3: builds < 1.3 are affected, anything from 1.3 onward is not.
Remediation
Update to version 1.3, 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: Cardoza AJAX Search 1.3 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.
- Firewall
- Login Security
- Alerts
External References
Vulnerability data © Defiant, Inc., provided under the Wordfence Intelligence T&C