CVE-2018-5373

Smooth Slider < 2.8.7 - Authenticated SQL Injection

2018-01-10 00:00

Strategic Overview

Status: Patched in 2.8.7
Affected Plugin: Smooth Slider
Affected Version: < 2.8.7
CVSS: 8.8High
Weakness type: CWE-89 · Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection')
CVE: CVE-2018-5373

At a glance

CVE-2018-5373 is a high-severity Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection') vulnerability in the Smooth Slider WordPress plugin, affecting versions < 2.8.7. It carries a CVSS score of 8.8 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity; high confidentiality, integrity, availability impact). Exploitation requires an authenticated account. The issue is fixed in version 2.8.7; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed January 2018, reported by Neven Birusk.

Vulnerability Overview

The Smooth Slider plugin through 2.8.6 for WordPress has SQL Injection via smooth-slider.php (trid parameter).

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 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 Smooth Slider < 2.8.7 takes any authenticated account. 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 Smooth Slider the fix is 2.8.7: builds < 2.8.7 are affected, anything from 2.8.7 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 2.8.7, or a newer patched version

How does WordSec protect against this?

The attempt arrives as an ordinary request to Smooth Slider: WordSec's web application firewall inspects request payloads before WordPress loads them. None of that substitutes for the fix: Smooth Slider 2.8.7 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

Firewall
Alerts

External References

https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2018-5373 https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/357257df-123d-4885-ad48-ff38ce29eeb3 https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-5373

Related records

Same weakness class

8.8CVE-2015-9454: Smooth Slider < 2.7 SQL InjectionCVE-2015-9454

CVSS Vector

8.8

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

Base

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

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