InfiniteWP Client <= 1.3.7 - Privilege Escalation

2014-12-02 00:00
Marc-Alexandre Montpas

Strategic Overview

Status
Patched in 1.3.8
Affected Plugin
InfiniteWP Client
Affected Version
<= 1.3.7
CVSS
9.8Critical
Weakness type
CWE-269 · Improper Privilege Management
CVE
CVE pending
View all InfiniteWP Client vulnerabilities

At a glance

This record tracks a critical-severity Improper Privilege Management vulnerability in the InfiniteWP Client WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 1.3.7. 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 1.3.8; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed December 2014, reported by Marc-Alexandre Montpas.

Vulnerability Overview

The InfiniteWP Client plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Privilege Escalation in versions up to, and including, 1.3.7. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to put the vulnerable site into maintenance mode if the admin's username is known.

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-269: Improper Privilege Management

Reaching this weakness in InfiniteWP Client <= 1.3.7 takes a caller who can reach the endpoint. Improper privilege management means the code lets an account end up with capabilities its role should not have.

It converts a low-privileged account into an administrative one, which makes every other restriction on the site irrelevant. For InfiniteWP Client the fix is 1.3.8: builds <= 1.3.7 are affected, anything from 1.3.8 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 1.3.8, 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: InfiniteWP Client 1.3.8 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

  • Login Security
  • Alerts

External References

https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/9e7a1116-2bf1-4d36-a091-e0d4a9d6e1c9

Related records

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