CVE-2019-25141

Easy WP SMTP <= 1.3.9 - Missing Authorization to Arbitrary Options Update

2019-03-17 00:00
Jerome Bruandet

At a glance

CVE-2019-25141 is a critical-severity Missing Authorization vulnerability in the Easy WP SMTP WordPress plugin, affecting versions < 1.3.9.1. 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 1.3.9.1; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed March 2019, reported by Jerome Bruandet.

Vulnerability Overview

The Easy WP SMTP plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to authorization bypass in versions up to, and including, 1.3.9. This is due to missing capability checks on the admin_init() function, in addition to insufficient input validation. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to modify the plugins settings and arbitrary options on the site that can be used to inject new administrative user accounts.

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-862: Missing Authorization

Easy WP SMTP < 1.3.9.1 carries this weakness at admin_init(), and reaching it takes a caller who can reach the endpoint. A missing authorization check means a function is reachable by anyone who can reach the endpoint, because the code never asks whether the caller is allowed to perform the action.

Any user who can reach the endpoint gets to run an action reserved for higher-privileged roles, from reading protected data to changing settings or content. For Easy WP SMTP the fix is 1.3.9.1: builds < 1.3.9.1 are affected, anything from 1.3.9.1 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 1.3.9.1, or a newer patched version

How does WordSec protect against this?

Because it turns on account access, WordSec's login security is the relevant layer: role-based two-factor, captcha and brute-force limits raise the cost of getting the account this needs. None of that substitutes for the fix: Easy WP SMTP 1.3.9.1 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

  • Login Security
  • Alerts

External References

Related records

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