CVE-2015-1000009
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability in the WordPress Google Adsense and Hotel Booking plugin version 1.05 creates an open proxy that allows attackers to route malicious traffic through vulnerable WordPress sites. This affects any WordPress installation using this specific plugin version, potentially exposing the site to abuse and making it a conduit for attacks against other systems.
💻 Affected Systems
- WordPress Google Adsense and Hotel Booking Plugin
📦 What is this software?
Google Adsense And Hotel Booking by Google Adsense And Hotel Booking Project
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Attackers use the vulnerable site as a proxy to launch attacks against other systems, hide their true origin, bypass IP-based restrictions, conduct credential stuffing, or perform DDoS attacks while appearing to originate from the legitimate WordPress site.
Likely Case
Attackers use the site as an anonymous proxy for scanning, credential stuffing, or accessing geo-restricted content, potentially causing the site to be blacklisted or flagged for malicious activity.
If Mitigated
With proper network controls and monitoring, the impact is limited to potential bandwidth consumption and reputation damage, but the proxy functionality is still available to attackers.
🎯 Exploit Status
The advisory includes technical details that make exploitation straightforward. Open proxy vulnerabilities are commonly exploited in automated attacks.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Unknown
Vendor Advisory: None available
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Immediately remove the Google Adsense and Hotel Booking plugin v1.05 from all WordPress installations. 2. Delete the plugin files from the wp-content/plugins directory. 3. Consider alternative hotel booking plugins with active maintenance.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable Plugin
allDeactivate the vulnerable plugin in WordPress admin panel
Navigate to WordPress Admin > Plugins > Installed Plugins > Deactivate 'Google Adsense and Hotel Booking'
Block Proxy Endpoints
linuxUse web application firewall or .htaccess to block access to vulnerable plugin endpoints
# Add to .htaccess
<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
RewriteEngine On
RewriteRule ^wp-content/plugins/google-adsense-and-hotel-booking/.*$ - [F,L]
</IfModule>
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict rate limiting and monitoring for outbound requests from the WordPress server
- Deploy a WAF with rules to detect and block proxy behavior patterns
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check WordPress admin panel > Plugins > Installed Plugins for 'Google Adsense and Hotel Booking' version 1.05Check Version:
Check plugin version in WordPress admin or examine wp-content/plugins/google-adsense-and-hotel-booking/readme.txtVerify Fix Applied:
Confirm plugin is removed from wp-content/plugins directory and no longer appears in WordPress admin📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual outbound HTTP requests from WordPress server, especially to external domains not related to normal site functionality
- High volume of requests to plugin-specific endpoints
Network Indicators:
- WordPress server making requests to multiple external domains in patterns suggesting proxy usage
- Unusual traffic patterns where WordPress site acts as intermediary
SIEM Query:
source_ip=wordpress_server AND (http_user_agent CONTAINS 'proxy' OR destination_port=80,443 AND NOT destination_domain IN allowed_domains)