Wordpress authentication cookie password weak security
| wordpress-password-weak-security (38578) |  Low Risk |
Description:
Wordpress authentication cookies could provide weaker than expected security. Authentication cookies are based on the MD5 hash of the password MD5 hash, which is stored in the user database. A remote attacker with read access to the user database could exploit this vulnerability to bypass authentication and gain unauthorized administrative access to the application by generating an authentication cookie using the password MD5 hash recovered from the database.
Platforms Affected:
- WordPress, WordPress 1.5 - 2.3.1
Remedy:
No remedy available as of January 2008.
Consequences:
Bypass Security
References:
- Full-Disclosure Mailing List, Mon Nov 19 2007 - 12:46:37 CST, Wordpress Cookie Authentication Vulnerability at http://archives.neohapsis.com/archives/fulldisclosure/2007-11/0437.html.
- Full-Disclosure Mailing List, Tue Nov 20 2007 - 12:51:26 CST, Wordpress 0day: Hacking into computers now easier than previously believed - Heise Security at http://archives.neohapsis.com/archives/fulldisclosure/2007-11/0460.html.
- Wordpress trac Ticket #5367, Wordpress cookie authentication vulnerability at http://trac.wordpress.org/ticket/5367.
- CVE-2007-6013: Wordpress 1.5 through 2.3.1 uses cookie values based on the MD5 hash of a password MD5 hash, which allows attackers to bypass authentication by obtaining the MD5 hash from the user database, then generating the authentication cookie from that hash.
- FrSIRT/ADV-2007-3941: WordPress Cookies Processing Authentication Bypass Weakness
- SA27714: WordPress Cookies Security Bypass Weakness
- SECTRACK ID: 1018980: WordPress Cookie Authentication Flaw Lets Remote Users Access Accounts in Certain Cases
Reported:
Nov 19, 2007
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