Strategic Overview
- Status
- Patched in 3.7
- Affected Plugin
- Cyr to Lat Enhanced
- Affected Version
<= 3.5- CVSS
- 8.8High
- Weakness type
- CWE-89 · Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection')
- CVE
CVE-2022-4290
At a glance
CVE-2022-4290 is a high-severity Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection') vulnerability in the Cyr to Lat Enhanced WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 3.5. It carries a CVSS score of 8.8 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity; high confidentiality, integrity, availability impact). Exploitation requires an authenticated account. The issue is fixed in version 3.7; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed April 2023, reported by Ram.
Vulnerability Overview
The Cyr to Lat plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to authenticated SQL Injection via the 'ctl_sanitize_title' function in versions up to, and including, 3.5 due to insufficient escaping on the user supplied parameter and lack of sufficient preparation on the existing SQL query. This potentially allows authenticated users with the ability to add or modify terms or tags to append additional SQL queries into already existing queries that can be used to extract sensitive information from the database. A partial patch became available in version 3.6 and the issue was fully patched in version 3.7.
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')
Cyr to Lat Enhanced <= 3.5 carries this weakness at ctl_sanitize_title, and reaching it 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 Cyr to Lat Enhanced the fix is 3.7: builds <= 3.5 are affected, anything from 3.7 onward is not.
Remediation
Update to version 3.7, or a newer patched version
How does WordSec protect against this?
The attempt arrives as an ordinary request to Cyr to Lat Enhanced: WordSec's web application firewall inspects request payloads before WordPress loads them. None of that substitutes for the fix: Cyr to Lat Enhanced 3.7 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.
- Firewall
- Alerts
External References
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