CVE-2015-2791

WPML <= 3.1.9 - Arbitrary Deletion of Content

2015-03-10 00:00

Strategic Overview

Status: Patched in 3.1.9.1
Affected Plugin: WPML Multilingual CMS
Affected Version: <= 3.1.9
CVSS: 7.5High
Weakness type: CWE-284 · Improper Access Control
CVE: CVE-2015-2791

View all WPML Multilingual CMS vulnerabilities

At a glance

CVE-2015-2791 is a high-severity Improper Access Control vulnerability in the WPML Multilingual CMS WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 3.1.9. It carries a CVSS score of 7.5 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity; high integrity impact). Exploitation requires no authentication. The issue is fixed in version 3.1.9.1; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed March 2015, reported by Jouko Pynnöne.

Vulnerability Overview

The "menu sync" function in the WPML plugin before 3.1.9 for WordPress allows remote attackers to delete arbitrary posts, pages, and menus via a crafted request to sitepress-multilingual-cms/menu/menus-sync.php.

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 integrity.

CWE-284: Improper Access Control

Reaching this weakness in WPML Multilingual CMS <= 3.1.9 takes a caller who can reach the endpoint. Improper access control means the code decides what a caller may do using something other than their actual permissions, so the decision can be wrong without any check appearing to be missing.

Whoever can shape the request decides the answer, so the protected action runs for callers the code never meant to allow. For WPML Multilingual CMS the fix is 3.1.9.1: builds <= 3.1.9 are affected, anything from 3.1.9.1 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 3.1.9.1, 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: WPML Multilingual CMS 3.1.9.1 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

Login Security
Alerts

External References

https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2015-2791 https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/da0c91e5-d9dc-413a-95f6-9e2fc6746ec0 https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2015-2791

Related records

Same weakness class

5.4CVE-2015-2792: WPML < 3.1.8 Authorization BypassCVE-2015-2792

Other vulnerabilities in WPML Multilingual CMS

CVSS Vector

7.5

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

Base

Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges RequiredNone
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
ConfidentialityNone
IntegrityHigh
AvailabilityNone

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