CVE-2015-9450 – This vulnerability allows SQL injection attacks... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2015-9450?

CVE-2015-9450 has a CVSS score of 9.8 (CRITICAL). This vulnerability allows SQL injection attacks in the Plugmatter Optin Feature Box Lite WordPress plugin. Attackers can execute arbitrary SQL commands via the pmfb_tid parameter in admin-ajax.php requests, potentially compromising WordPress sites running vulnerable versions. All WordPress installations using this plugin before version 2.0.14 are affected.

📋 TL;DR

This vulnerability allows SQL injection attacks in the Plugmatter Optin Feature Box Lite WordPress plugin. Attackers can execute arbitrary SQL commands via the pmfb_tid parameter in admin-ajax.php requests, potentially compromising WordPress sites running vulnerable versions. All WordPress installations using this plugin before version 2.0.14 are affected.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Plugmatter Optin Feature Box Lite WordPress Plugin

Versions: All versions before 2.0.14

Operating Systems: Any OS running WordPress

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Requires WordPress installation with the vulnerable plugin activated.

📦 What is this software?

Plugmatter Optin Feature Box by Sizmic

View all CVEs affecting Plugmatter Optin Feature Box →

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Complete database compromise leading to data theft, privilege escalation, remote code execution, and full site takeover.

🟠

Likely Case

Database information disclosure, user credential theft, and potential site defacement.

🟢

If Mitigated

Limited impact with proper input validation and database permissions in place.

🌐 Internet-Facing: HIGH - WordPress sites are typically internet-facing and the exploit requires no authentication.

🏢 Internal Only: LOW - This is a WordPress plugin vulnerability affecting web applications, not internal systems.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ⚠️ Yes

Weaponized: LIKELY

Unauthenticated Exploit: ⚠️ Yes

Complexity: LOW

SQL injection via GET parameter is straightforward to exploit with common tools like sqlmap.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: 2.0.14

Vendor Advisory: https://wordpress.org/plugins/plugmatter-optin-feature-box-lite/#developers

Restart Required: No

Instructions:

1. Log into WordPress admin panel. 2. Go to Plugins → Installed Plugins. 3. Find 'Plugmatter Optin Feature Box Lite'. 4. Click 'Update Now' if available, or delete and reinstall latest version. 5. Verify version is 2.0.14 or higher.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable vulnerable plugin

all

Temporarily deactivate the Plugmatter Optin Feature Box Lite plugin

wp plugin deactivate plugmatter-optin-feature-box-lite

Web Application Firewall rule

all

Block requests containing suspicious SQL injection patterns targeting pmfb_tid parameter

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Remove the plugin entirely if not essential for site functionality
Implement strict input validation and parameterized queries at application level

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check WordPress admin → Plugins → Plugmatter Optin Feature Box Lite → Version. If version < 2.0.14, vulnerable.

Check Version:

wp plugin get plugmatter-optin-feature-box-lite --field=version

Verify Fix Applied:

Confirm plugin version is 2.0.14 or higher in WordPress admin panel.

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Unusual SQL errors in WordPress logs
Multiple requests to /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php with pmfb_tid parameter containing SQL syntax

Network Indicators:

HTTP GET requests to admin-ajax.php with pmfb_tid parameter containing SQL keywords (SELECT, UNION, etc.)

SIEM Query:

url:*/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php* AND (pmfb_tid:SELECT OR pmfb_tid:UNION OR pmfb_tid:INSERT OR pmfb_tid:DELETE)

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2015-9450

CVSS v3 Score: 9.8 (CRITICAL)

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

CWE: CWE-89

Published: October 7, 2019

Last Updated: November 21, 2024

🔗 References

http://cinu.pl/research/wp-plugins/mail_ec951d52aa603c9caaca8c7005b84004.html Third Party Advisory
https://wordpress.org/plugins/plugmatter-optin-feature-box-lite/#developers Product,Release Notes
https://wpvulndb.com/vulnerabilities/8340 Third Party Advisory
http://cinu.pl/research/wp-plugins/mail_ec951d52aa603c9caaca8c7005b84004.html Third Party Advisory
https://wordpress.org/plugins/plugmatter-optin-feature-box-lite/#developers Product,Release Notes
https://wpvulndb.com/vulnerabilities/8340 Third Party Advisory

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