Auto Affiliate Links < 5.0 - SQL Injection

2015-07-15 00:00
Marcin Probola

Strategic Overview

Status
Patched in 5.0
Affected Plugin
Auto Affiliate Links
Affected Version
< 5.0
CVSS
9.8Critical
Weakness type
CWE-89 · Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection')
CVE
CVE pending
View all Auto Affiliate Links vulnerabilities

At a glance

This record tracks a critical-severity Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection') vulnerability in the Auto Affiliate Links WordPress plugin, affecting versions < 5.0. 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 5.0; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed July 2015, reported by Marcin Probola.

Vulnerability Overview

The Auto Affiliate Links plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to multiple SQL Injections via the 'aal_massstring' and 'aalorder' parameters in versions before 5.0 due to insufficient escaping on the user supplied parameter and lack of sufficient preparation on the existing SQL query. This makes it possible for attackers to append additional SQL queries into already existing queries that can be used to extract sensitive information from the database.

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')

Auto Affiliate Links < 5.0 carries this weakness at aal_massstring, and reaching it 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 Auto Affiliate Links the fix is 5.0: builds < 5.0 are affected, anything from 5.0 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 5.0, or a newer patched version

How does WordSec protect against this?

The attempt arrives as an ordinary request to Auto Affiliate Links: WordSec's web application firewall inspects request payloads before WordPress loads them. None of that substitutes for the fix: Auto Affiliate Links 5.0 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

  • Firewall
  • Alerts

External References

https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/438d73bb-80f1-460f-8c62-2a40856e4c29

Related records

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