CVE-2022-3481: WooCommerce Dropshipping WordPress Plugin Vulnerability - SQL Injection in REST Endpoint exposed unauthenticated users

Introduction: A critical security vulnerability, identified as CVE-2022-3481, has been discovered within the WooCommerce Dropshipping WordPress plugin. If your website uses this plugin, it might be at risk of being exploited by malicious actors, especially if you have not updated to the latest version (4.4).

This post provides an overview of the vulnerability, explains how it can be exploited, and suggests steps site owners should take to mitigate their risks. The information provided here is intended to help you understand the potential impact on your website and make informed decisions about protecting your online assets.

Vulnerability Details: The vulnerability in the WooCommerce Dropshipping WordPress plugin (versions earlier than 4.4) stems from a failure to properly sanitize and escape a parameter before using it in a SQL statement through a REST endpoint. This endpoint is accessible by unauthenticated users, which means that anyone with knowledge of the vulnerability could potentially exploit it to perform a SQL injection.

The affected code snippet, present in the plugin's source files, is as follows

$wpdb->prepare("SELECT * FROM $table_name WHERE supplier_id IN (SELECT id FROM $supplier_table_name WHERE user_id=%d) ORDER BY order_id ASC", $user_id);

As visible from the code snippet, the $user_id parameter is not being correctly sanitized or escaped before being used in the SQL query. This allows an attacker to inject malicious SQL commands which could result in unauthorized access to sensitive information, modification of data, or even total website compromise depending on the attacker's level of expertise and objectives.

The official reference for this vulnerability can be found on the National Vulnerability Database (NVD) website:

- CVE-2022-3481

Exploit Details: An attacker willing to exploit this vulnerability would need to send specially crafted requests to the vulnerable REST endpoint, incorporating a malicious payload designed to manipulate the SQL statement and execute unauthorized commands. Below is a simple example of how an attacker might carry out a SQL injection:

POST /wp-json/wc-dropshipping/v1/orders-user/(HTTP%3bsql_injection_payload_here) HTTP/1.1
Host: target_site.com
Content-Type: application/json
...

{
   "date": "2021-01-01",
   "page": "1",
   "limit": "10"
}

In the example above, the attacker is targeting the orders-user REST endpoint and attempting to modify the SQL statement by injecting a malicious payload. Depending on the specifics of the payload used, this could result in the execution of arbitrary SQL queries and commands.

To fix this vulnerability, the best course of action is updating the plugin to the latest version, which includes a patch for this vulnerability. Additionally, it is advisable to limit the REST API endpoint access only to trusted users to further harden the website security.

Conclusion: The CVE-2022-3481 vulnerability in the WooCommerce Dropshipping WordPress plugin is a critical security issue that site owners must be aware of and address. It is essential to keep your plugins up-to-date to close security gaps such as this. If you are running an affected version of the plugin, upgrade as soon as possible to mitigate your risks.

For additional information regarding this vulnerability, refer to the following resources

1. Official CVE record: CVE-2022-3481
2. WooCommerce Dropshipping WordPress plugin: Official site

In closing, it's important to emphasize that staying informed about the latest security vulnerabilities is crucial in ensuring the well-being of your website and online assets. Do not hesitate to take the necessary precautions, and make sure to follow security best practices to protect yourself from potential threats.

Timeline

Published on: 11/07/2022 10:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 12/20/2022 19:16:00 UTC