CVE-2016-1000217

Zotpress < 6.1.3 - SQL Injection

2016-10-06 00:00

Strategic Overview

Status: Patched in 6.1.3
Affected Plugin: Zotpress
Affected Version: < 6.1.3
CVSS: 9.8Critical
Weakness type: CWE-89 · Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection')
CVE: CVE-2016-1000217

At a glance

CVE-2016-1000217 is a critical-severity Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection') vulnerability in the Zotpress WordPress plugin, affecting versions < 6.1.3. 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 6.1.3; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed October 2016, reported by uberspot.

Vulnerability Overview

Zotpress plugin for WordPress before 6.1.3 has SQLi in zp_get_account().

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')

Zotpress < 6.1.3 carries this weakness at zp_get_account(), 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 Zotpress the fix is 6.1.3: builds < 6.1.3 are affected, anything from 6.1.3 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 6.1.3, or a newer patched version

How does WordSec protect against this?

The attempt arrives as an ordinary request to Zotpress: WordSec's web application firewall inspects request payloads before WordPress loads them. None of that substitutes for the fix: Zotpress 6.1.3 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

Firewall
Alerts

External References

https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2016-1000217 https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/b3d9549d-4d75-4b6a-90e2-4d403731d78f https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-1000217

Related records

Same weakness class

9.9CVE-2024-30488: Zotpress <= 7.3.7 SQL InjectionCVE-2024-30488

Other vulnerabilities in Zotpress

CVSS Vector

9.8

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Base

Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges RequiredNone
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityHigh
AvailabilityHigh

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