CVE-2018-19207
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability in the WP GDPR Compliance WordPress plugin allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code due to improper handling of input in the $wpdb->prepare() function. Attackers can exploit this to take full control of affected WordPress sites. All WordPress installations using vulnerable versions of this plugin are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- Van Ons WP GDPR Compliance (wp-gdpr-compliance) WordPress plugin
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete compromise of the WordPress installation, allowing attackers to execute arbitrary code, install backdoors, steal data, deface websites, or use the server for further attacks.
Likely Case
Remote code execution leading to website defacement, data theft, or installation of malware/backdoors for persistent access.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if proper network segmentation, web application firewalls, and least privilege principles are implemented.
🎯 Exploit Status
Actively exploited in the wild since November 2018. Exploitation requires no authentication and is straightforward.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 1.4.3 and later
Vendor Advisory: https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-gdpr-compliance/#developers
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Log into WordPress admin panel. 2. Navigate to Plugins → Installed Plugins. 3. Find 'WP GDPR Compliance' plugin. 4. Click 'Update Now' if available. 5. If no update button, download version 1.4.3+ from WordPress.org and manually update.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable vulnerable plugin
allTemporarily disable the WP GDPR Compliance plugin until patched
wp plugin deactivate wp-gdpr-compliance
Web Application Firewall rule
allBlock requests targeting the vulnerable plugin endpoints
# Add WAF rule to block requests to /wp-content/plugins/wp-gdpr-compliance/
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Remove the wp-gdpr-compliance plugin completely from the WordPress installation
- Implement strict network controls to limit access to the WordPress admin interface
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check WordPress admin panel → Plugins → Installed Plugins for WP GDPR Compliance versionCheck Version:
wp plugin list --name=wp-gdpr-compliance --field=versionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify plugin version is 1.4.3 or higher in WordPress admin📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual POST requests to /wp-content/plugins/wp-gdpr-compliance/
- Unexpected PHP file creation in WordPress directories
- Suspicious database queries in WordPress logs
Network Indicators:
- HTTP requests containing SQL injection patterns targeting wp-gdpr-compliance endpoints
- Outbound connections from WordPress server to unknown IPs
SIEM Query:
source="wordpress.log" AND "wp-gdpr-compliance" AND ("prepare" OR "sql" OR "injection")🔗 References
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/105921
- https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-gdpr-compliance/#developers
- https://wpvulndb.com/vulnerabilities/9144
- https://www.wordfence.com/blog/2018/11/trends-following-vulnerability-in-wp-gdpr-compliance-plugin/
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/105921
- https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-gdpr-compliance/#developers
- https://wpvulndb.com/vulnerabilities/9144
- https://www.wordfence.com/blog/2018/11/trends-following-vulnerability-in-wp-gdpr-compliance-plugin/
