Overview
In the ever-evolving field of cybersecurity, a new vulnerability, CVE-2019-25224, has been identified that can be exploited to compromise WordPress websites using the WP Database Backup plugin. This vulnerability affects versions of the plugin before 5.2 and carries the potential for high impact due to the risk of unauthenticated command execution on the host operating system.
For anyone using WordPress with the WP Database Backup plugin, this vulnerability is of significant concern. It affects both personal blogs and high-traffic business websites that employ WordPress as their Content Management System (CMS). The potential consequences of this vulnerability, such as system compromise and data leakage, underscore the urgency for immediate action.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2019-25224
Severity: Critical (9.8)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Impact: System compromise, potential data leakage
Affected Products
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Product | Affected Versions
WP Database Backup for WordPress | Versions before 5.2
How the Exploit Works
The vulnerability, CVE-2019-25224, is an OS command injection vulnerability. It resides in the ‘mysqldump’ function of the WP Database Backup plugin for WordPress. The vulnerability allows an attacker to inject malicious commands, which are then executed on the host operating system. This is possible due to insufficient input validation and lack of proper sanitization measures in relevant parts of the plugin’s code. The attacker does not need to be authenticated to exploit this vulnerability, making the risk even greater.
Conceptual Example Code
A potential exploit could involve an HTTP request that includes a malicious payload. For example:
POST /wpdbbackup.php HTTP/1.1
Host: target.example.com
Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded
dump_settings={ "mysqldump": "'; arbitrary command here ;#"}This is a simplified example for illustrative purposes. In a real-world scenario, the ‘arbitrary command’ would likely be a malicious command intended to compromise the system or exfiltrate data.
Please note that the provided example is not intended to encourage malicious activities but to help users and administrators understand the nature of the vulnerability and take appropriate protective measures.
Mitigation Strategy
Users are advised to immediately update the WP Database Backup plugin to version 5.2 or later, which includes a patch for this vulnerability. If immediate patching is not possible, a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can be used to detect and block exploit attempts as a temporary mitigation. However, these measures should not be considered as a long-term solution but rather as a stopgap until patching is possible. Always remember that keeping your software up-to-date is the most effective way to ensure your systems remain secure.