The sanitize_widget_instance function in wp-includes/class-wp-customize-widgets.php in WordPress before 4.2.4 does not use a constant-time comparison for widgets, which allows remote attackers to conduct a timing side-channel attack by measuring the delay before inequality is calculated.

Versions of WordPress prior to 4.2.4 are susceptible to the following vulnerabilities : 

 - A cross-site scripting vulnerability exists due to the 'default-widgets.php' script not validating input to widget titles before returning it to users. A remote attacker, using a crafted request, can exploit this to execute arbitrary script in the user's browser session. (CVE-2015-5732)
 - A cross-site scripting vulnerability exists due to the 'nav-menu.js' script not validating input to accessibility helper titles before returning it to users.  A remote attacker, using a crafted request, can exploit this to execute arbitrary script in the user's browser session. (CVE-2015-5733)
 - A cross-site scripting vulnerability exists due to the 'theme.php' script not validating input before returning it to users.  A remote attacker, using a crafted request, can exploit this to execute arbitrary script in the user's browser session. (CVE-2015-5734)
 - An SQL injection vulnerability exists in the 'post.php' script due to a failure to sanitize user-supplied input to the 'comment_ID' parameter before using it in SQL queries.  A remote attacker can exploit this to inject SQL queries against the back-end database, allowing the disclosure or manipulation of data. (CVE-2015-2213)
 - An unspecified flaw that affects 'class-wp-customize-widgets.php' which allows an attacker to perform a side-channel timing attack.  No other details are available. (CVE-2015-5731)
 - A flaw exists in the 'post.php' script.  This may allow a remote attacker to lock a post, preventing anyone else, including authorized users, from editing it. (CVE-2015-5731)

**WordPress 4.2.4 Security and Maintenance Release**

WordPress 4.2.4 is now available. This is a security release for all previous versions and we strongly encourage you to update your sites immediately.

This release addresses six issues, including three cross-site scripting vulnerabilities and a potential SQL injection that could be used to compromise a site, which were discovered by Marc-Alexandre Montpas of Sucuri, Helen Hou-Sandi of the WordPress security team, Netanel Rubin of Check Point, and Ivan Grigorov. It also includes a fix for a potential timing side-channel attack, discovered by Johannes Schmitt of Scrutinizer, and prevents an attacker from locking a post from being edited, discovered by Mohamed A. Baset.

Our thanks to those who have practiced responsible disclosure of security issues.

WordPress 4.2.4 also fixes four bugs. For more information, see: the release notes or consult the list of changes.

  - the release notes:
    https://codex.wordpress.org/Version_4.2.4

    - the list of changes:
      https://core.trac.wordpress.org/log/branches/4.2?rev=3       3573&stop_rev=33396

**WordPress 4.2.3 Security and Maintenance Release**

WordPress 4.2.3 is now available. This is a security release for all previous versions and we strongly encourage you to update your sites immediately.

WordPress versions 4.2.2 and earlier are affected by a cross-site scripting vulnerability, which could allow users with the Contributor or Author role to compromise a site. This was initially reported by Jon Cave and fixed by Robert Chapin, both of the WordPress security team, and later reported by Jouko Pynnonen.

We also fixed an issue where it was possible for a user with Subscriber permissions to create a draft through Quick Draft. Reported by Netanel Rubin from Check Point Software Technologies.

Our thanks to those who have practiced responsible disclosure of security issues.

WordPress 4.2.3 also contains fixes for 20 bugs from 4.2. For more information, see :

  - the release notes:
    https://codex.wordpress.org/Version_4.2.3

    - the list of changes:
      https://core.trac.wordpress.org/log/branches/4.2?rev=3       3382&stop_rev=32430

Note that Tenable Network Security has extracted the preceding description block directly from the Fedora security advisory. Tenable has attempted to automatically clean and format it as much as possible without introducing additional issues.

Several vulnerabilities have been fixed in Wordpress, the popular blogging engine.

  - CVE-2015-2213     SQL Injection allowed a remote attacker to compromise     the site.

  - CVE-2015-5622     The robustness of the shortcodes HTML tags filter has     been improved. The parsing is a bit more strict, which     may affect your installation. This is the corrected     version of the patch that needed to be reverted in DSA     3328-2.

  - CVE-2015-5730     A potential timing side-channel attack in widgets.

  - CVE-2015-5731     An attacker could lock a post that was being edited.

  - CVE-2015-5732     Cross site scripting in a widget title allows an     attacker to steal sensitive information.

  - CVE-2015-5734     Fix some broken links in the legacy theme preview.

The issues were discovered by Marc-Alexandre Montpas of Sucuri, Helen Hou-Sandi of the WordPress security team, Netanel Rubin of Check Point, Ivan Grigorov, Johannes Schmitt of Scrutinizer and Mohamed A.
Baset.

**WordPress 4.2.4 Security and Maintenance Release**

WordPress 4.2.4 is now available. This is a security release for all previous versions and we strongly encourage you to update your sites immediately.

This release addresses six issues, including three cross-site scripting vulnerabilities and a potential SQL injection that could be used to compromise a site, which were discovered by Marc-Alexandre Montpas of Sucuri, Helen Hou-Sandi of the WordPress security team, Netanel Rubin of Check Point, and Ivan Grigorov. It also includes a fix for a potential timing side-channel attack, discovered by Johannes Schmitt of Scrutinizer, and prevents an attacker from locking a post from being edited, discovered by Mohamed A. Baset.

Our thanks to those who have practiced responsible disclosure of security issues.

WordPress 4.2.4 also fixes four bugs. For more information, see: the release notes or consult the list of changes.

  - the release notes:
    https://codex.wordpress.org/Version_4.2.4

    - the list of changes:
      https://core.trac.wordpress.org/log/branches/4.2?rev=3       3573&stop_rev=33396

Note that Tenable Network Security has extracted the preceding description block directly from the Fedora security advisory. Tenable has attempted to automatically clean and format it as much as possible without introducing additional issues.

Gary Pendergast reports :

WordPress 4.2.4 fixes three cross-site scripting vulnerabilities and a potential SQL injection that could be used to compromise a site.

According to its version number, the WordPress application running on the remote web server is prior to 4.2.4. It is, therefore, potentially affected by multiple vulnerabilities :

  - A SQL injection vulnerability exists in the post.php     script due to a failure to sanitize user-supplied input     to the 'comment_ID' parameter before using it in SQL     queries. A remote attacker can exploit this to inject     SQL queries against the back-end database, allowing     the disclosure or manipulation of data. (CVE-2015-2213)

  - The class-wp-customize-widgets.php script contains an     unspecified flaw that allows an attacker to perform a     side-channel timing attack. No other details are     available. (CVE-2015-5730)

  - A cross-site scripting vulnerability exists due to the     default-widgets.php script not validating input to     widget titles before returning it to users. A remote     attacker, using a crafted request, can exploit this to     execute arbitrary script in the user's browser session.
    (CVE-2015-5732)

  - A cross-site scripting vulnerability exists due to the     nav-menu.js script not validating input to accessibility     helper titles before returning it to users. A remote     attacker, using a crafted request, can exploit this to     execute arbitrary script in the user's browser session.
    (CVE-2015-5733)

  - A cross-site scripting vulnerability exists due to the     theme.php script not validating input before returning     it to users. A remote attacker, using a crafted request,     can exploit this to execute arbitrary script in the     user's browser session. (CVE-2015-5734)

Note that Nessus has not tested for these issues but has instead relied only on the application's self-reported version number.

ID	Name	Product	Family	Severity
9031	WordPress < 4.2.4 Multiple Vulnerabilities	Nessus Network Monitor	CGI	high
85390	Fedora 22 : wordpress-4.2.4-1.fc22 (2015-12235)	Nessus	Fedora Local Security Checks	high
85389	Fedora 21 : wordpress-4.2.4-1.fc21 (2015-12148)	Nessus	Fedora Local Security Checks	high
85355	Debian DSA-3332-1 : wordpress - security update	Nessus	Debian Local Security Checks	high
85317	Fedora 23 : wordpress-4.2.4-1.fc23 (2015-12750)	Nessus	Fedora Local Security Checks	high
85258	FreeBSD : wordpress -- Multiple vulnerability (ac5ec8e3-3c6c-11e5-b921-00a0986f28c4)	Nessus	FreeBSD Local Security Checks	high
85243	WordPress < 4.2.4 Multiple Vulnerabilities	Nessus	CGI abuses	high

Detections

Analytics

CVE-2015-5730

critical

Tenable Plugins

high

high

high

high

high

high

high