CVE-2020-12104

WordPress WP-Advanced-Search <= 3.3.6 - SQL Injection

2020-04-28 00:00
Nawaf Alkeraithe, Hashim Alshareef

Strategic Overview

Status
Patched in 3.3.7
Affected Plugin
WordPress WP-Advanced-Search
Affected Version
<= 3.3.6
CVSS
8.8High
Weakness type
CWE-89 · Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection')
CVE
CVE-2020-12104
View all WordPress WP-Advanced-Search vulnerabilities

At a glance

CVE-2020-12104 is a high-severity Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection') vulnerability in the WordPress WP-Advanced-Search WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 3.3.6. 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 3.3.7; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed April 2020, reported by Nawaf Alkeraithe, Hashim Alshareef.

Vulnerability Overview

The Import feature in the wp-advanced-search plugin 3.3.6 for WordPress is vulnerable to authenticated SQL injection via an uploaded .sql file. An attacker can use this to execute SQL commands without any validation.

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 WordPress WP-Advanced-Search <= 3.3.6 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 WP-Advanced-Search the fix is 3.3.7: builds <= 3.3.6 are affected, anything from 3.3.7 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 3.3.7, or a newer patched version

How does WordSec protect against this?

The attempt arrives as an ordinary request to WordPress WP-Advanced-Search: WordSec's web application firewall inspects request payloads before WordPress loads them. None of that substitutes for the fix: WordPress WP-Advanced-Search 3.3.7 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

  • Firewall
  • Alerts

External References

https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-12104https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/33129b72-0976-4c09-9cea-b5ba321ae46fhttps://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-12104

Related records

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