CVE-2015-2292

Yoast SEO <= 1.7.3.3 - Blind SQL Injection

2015-03-11 00:00

Strategic Overview

Status: Patched in 1.5.7
Affected Plugin: Yoast SEO – Advanced SEO with real-time guidance and built-in AI
Affected Version: 1.5.6 – 1.7.3 · 3 branches
CVSS: 8.8High
Weakness type: CWE-89 · Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection')
CVE: CVE-2015-2292

View all Yoast SEO – Advanced SEO with real-time guidance and built-in AI vulnerabilities

At a glance

CVE-2015-2292 is a high-severity Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection') vulnerability in the Yoast SEO WordPress plugin, affecting versions 1.5.6 – 1.7.3 · 3 branches. It carries a CVSS score of 8.8 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity; high confidentiality, integrity, availability impact). The issue is fixed in version 1.5.7; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed March 2015, reported by Ryan Dewhurst.

Vulnerability Overview

Multiple SQL injection vulnerabilities in admin/class-bulk-editor-list-table.php in the WordPress SEO by Yoast plugin before 1.5.7, 1.6.x before 1.6.4, and 1.7.x before 1.7.4 for WordPress allow remote authenticated users to execute arbitrary SQL commands via the (1) order_by or (2) order parameter in the wpseo_bulk-editor page to wp-admin/admin.php. NOTE: this can be leveraged using CSRF to allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands.

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 Yoast SEO 1.5.6 – 1.7.3 · 3 branches 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 Yoast SEO the fix is 1.5.7: builds 1.5.6 – 1.7.3 · 3 branches are affected, anything from 1.5.7 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to one of the following versions, or a newer patched version: 1.5.7, 1.6.4, 1.7.4

How does WordSec protect against this?

The attempt arrives as an ordinary request to Yoast SEO: WordSec's web application firewall inspects request payloads before WordPress loads them. None of that substitutes for the fix: Yoast SEO 1.5.7 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

Firewall
Alerts

External References

https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2015-2292 https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/ddf4ec13-bca3-4994-9e11-11fbbead371a https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2015-2292

Related records

Other vulnerabilities in Yoast SEO – Advanced SEO with real-time guidance and built-in AI

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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