SEO Plugin by Squirrly SEO < 6.1.5 - Missing Authorization Checks

2016-07-11 00:00
Panagiotis Vagenas

Strategic Overview

Status
Patched in 6.1.5
Affected Plugin
GEO Plugin by Squirrly SEO
Affected Version
< 6.1.5
CVSS
7.3High
Weakness type
CWE-862 · Missing Authorization
CVE
CVE pending
View all GEO Plugin by Squirrly SEO vulnerabilities

At a glance

This record tracks a high-severity Missing Authorization vulnerability in the GEO Plugin by Squirrly SEO WordPress plugin, affecting versions < 6.1.5. It carries a CVSS score of 7.3 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity). Exploitation requires no authentication. The issue is fixed in version 6.1.5; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed July 2016, reported by Panagiotis Vagenas.

Vulnerability Overview

The SEO Plugin by Squirrly SEO plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to authorization bypass in versions before 6.1.5. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers to modify plugin settings on a site with registration enabled. This includes adding or changing the site favicon, uploading featured images for posts or retrieving SEO settings for a post.

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-862: Missing Authorization

Reaching this weakness in GEO Plugin by Squirrly SEO < 6.1.5 takes a caller who can reach the endpoint. A missing authorization check means a function is reachable by anyone who can reach the endpoint, because the code never asks whether the caller is allowed to perform the action.

Any user who can reach the endpoint gets to run an action reserved for higher-privileged roles, from reading protected data to changing settings or content. For GEO Plugin by Squirrly SEO the fix is 6.1.5: builds < 6.1.5 are affected, anything from 6.1.5 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 6.1.5, 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: GEO Plugin by Squirrly SEO 6.1.5 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/0747b104-5be6-44eb-b62c-0026f810573c

Related records

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