Strategic Overview
- Status
- Patched in 1.0.1
- Affected Plugin
- WordPress Sentinel
- Affected Version
<= 1.0.0- CVSS
- 9.8Critical
- Weakness type
- CWE-89 · Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection')
- CVE
CVE-2011-5224
At a glance
CVE-2011-5224 is a critical-severity Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection') vulnerability in the WordPress Sentinel WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 1.0.0. 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 1.0.1; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed December 2011, reported by Julio Potier.
Vulnerability Overview
SQL injection vulnerability in the Sentinel plugin 1.0.0 for WordPress allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands via unspecified vectors.
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 WordPress Sentinel <= 1.0.0 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 WordPress Sentinel the fix is 1.0.1: builds <= 1.0.0 are affected, anything from 1.0.1 onward is not.
Remediation
Update to version 1.0.1, or a newer patched version
How does WordSec protect against this?
The attempt arrives as an ordinary request to WordPress Sentinel: WordSec's web application firewall inspects request payloads before WordPress loads them. None of that substitutes for the fix: WordPress Sentinel 1.0.1 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.
- Firewall
- Alerts
External References
Related records
Other vulnerabilities in WordPress Sentinel
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