Executive Summary

A blind SQL injection vulnerability exists in the WP Directory Kit plugin for WordPress, affecting all versions up to and including 1.5.4. This vulnerability allows authenticated attackers with custom-level access and above to append additional SQL queries to existing queries, potentially leading to the extraction of sensitive information from the database. The vulnerability has a CVSS score of 6.5, indicating a medium severity level.

Technical Analysis

The vulnerability is classified as a blind SQL injection attack. The attack vector involves the 'order_by' parameter, which is not properly escaped, allowing an attacker to inject malicious SQL queries. The root cause of this vulnerability is the insufficient escaping of user-supplied parameters and the lack of sufficient preparation on existing SQL queries.

How It Gets Exploited

An attacker with custom-level access and above can exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted request to the affected plugin, specifically manipulating the 'order_by' parameter to inject malicious SQL queries. For example, an attacker might send a request with an 'order_by' parameter that includes a malicious SQL statement, which would then be executed by the database. This could allow the attacker to extract sensitive information from the database, such as user credentials or other confidential data.

Impact Assessment

The WP Directory Kit plugin for WordPress, versions up to and including 1.5.4, are affected by this vulnerability. An attacker could achieve unauthorized access to sensitive information in the database. The CVSS score of 6.5 indicates a medium severity level, with high confidentiality impact and no impact on integrity or availability.

Recommended Actions

To mitigate this vulnerability, it is recommended to update the WP Directory Kit plugin to a version that is not vulnerable, if available. In the meantime, users can implement additional security measures such as limiting access to the plugin's functionality, monitoring database activity for suspicious queries, and using a web application firewall (WAF) to detect and prevent SQL injection attacks.

Sources

  • National Vulnerability Database (NVD)
  • Wordfence