NextGen Gallery <= 2.1.77 - SQL Injection

2017-02-17 00:00
Slavco Mihajloski

Strategic Overview

Status
Patched in 2.1.79
Affected Plugin
Photo Gallery, Sliders, Proofing and Themes – NextGEN Gallery
Affected Version
<= 2.1.77
CVSS
8.3High
Weakness type
CWE-89 · Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection')
CVE
CVE pending
View all Photo Gallery, Sliders, Proofing and Themes – NextGEN Gallery vulnerabilities

At a glance

This record tracks a high-severity Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection') vulnerability in the Photo Gallery, Sliders, Proofing and Themes WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 2.1.77. It carries a CVSS score of 8.3 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity). Exploitation requires no authentication. The issue is fixed in version 2.1.79; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed February 2017, reported by Slavco Mihajloski.

Vulnerability Overview

The NextGen Gallery plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to SQL Injection via the ‘$container_ids’ string in versions up to, and including, 2.1.77 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.

CWE-89: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection')

Reaching this weakness in Photo Gallery, Sliders, Proofing and Themes <= 2.1.77 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 Photo Gallery, Sliders, Proofing and Themes the fix is 2.1.79: builds <= 2.1.77 are affected, anything from 2.1.79 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 2.1.79, or a newer patched version

How does WordSec protect against this?

The attempt arrives as an ordinary request to Photo Gallery, Sliders, Proofing and Themes: WordSec's web application firewall inspects request payloads before WordPress loads them. None of that substitutes for the fix: Photo Gallery, Sliders, Proofing and Themes 2.1.79 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

  • Firewall
  • Alerts

External References

https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/78fedd41-f0ab-4148-a798-88de62f27008

Related records

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