WP Brutal AI < 2.0.0 - Cross-Site Request Forgery to SQL Injection
Strategic Overview
- Status
- Patched in 2.0.0
- Affected Plugin
- WP Brutal AI
- Affected Version
< 2.0.0- CVSS
- 8.8High
- Weakness type
- CWE-89 · Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection')
- CVE
CVE-2023-2601
At a glance
CVE-2023-2601 is a high-severity Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection') vulnerability in the WP Brutal AI WordPress plugin, affecting versions < 2.0.0. It carries a CVSS score of 8.8 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity; high confidentiality, integrity, availability impact). Exploitation requires no authentication. The issue is fixed in version 2.0.0; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed June 2023, reported by Taurus Omar.
Vulnerability Overview
The WP Brutal AI plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to SQL Injection via an unknown parameter in versions before 2.0.0 due to insufficient escaping on the user supplied parameter and lack of sufficient preparation on the existing SQL query. Additionally it lacks a nonce check on this functionality. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers with administrator-level permissions, as well as unauthenticated attackers able to trick administrators into performing an action such as clicking a link, 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. 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 WP Brutal AI < 2.0.0 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 WP Brutal AI the fix is 2.0.0: builds < 2.0.0 are affected, anything from 2.0.0 onward is not.
Remediation
Update to version 2.0.0, or a newer patched version
How does WordSec protect against this?
The attempt arrives as an ordinary request to WP Brutal AI: WordSec's web application firewall inspects request payloads before WordPress loads them. None of that substitutes for the fix: WP Brutal AI 2.0.0 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.
- Firewall
- Alerts
External References
Related records
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