CVE-2023-48738

Porto Theme - Functionality <= 2.11.1 - Unauthenticated SQL Injection

2023-11-23 00:00

Strategic Overview

Status: Patched in 2.12.1
Affected Plugin: Porto Theme - Functionality
Affected Version: <= 2.11.1
CVSS: 9.8Critical
Weakness type: CWE-89 · Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection')
CVE: CVE-2023-48738

View all Porto Theme - Functionality vulnerabilities

At a glance

CVE-2023-48738 is a critical-severity Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection') vulnerability in the Porto Theme - Functionality WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 2.11.1. 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 2.12.1; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed November 2023, reported by Rafie Muhammad.

Vulnerability Overview

The Porto Theme - Functionality plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to SQL Injection in versions up to, and including, 2.11.1 due to insufficient escaping on a user supplied parameter and lack of sufficient preparation on an 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. 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')

Reaching this weakness in Porto Theme - Functionality <= 2.11.1 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 Porto Theme - Functionality the fix is 2.12.1: builds <= 2.11.1 are affected, anything from 2.12.1 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 2.12.1, 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: Porto Theme - Functionality 2.12.1 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

Firewall
Login Security
Alerts

External References

https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-48738 https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/fabc7ad3-1d20-493f-aacb-1832d33d8e14 https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-48738

Related records

Other vulnerabilities in Porto Theme - Functionality

CVSS Vector

9.8

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Base

Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges RequiredNone
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityHigh
AvailabilityHigh

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