Wordpress SQL injection

Today it came out that there is yet another SQL injection in WordPress Blogs.


This code exploits the Wordpress Plugin Upload File, and allows an attacker to execute an arbitrary command on the hosting machine. If you host your Blog Locally, this is an enormous problem! The exploit (Discovered by a russian hacker http://eserg.ru ) ,  is one of a myriad of security issues recently exposed by Hackers- leaving bloggers worldwide vulnerable.  

What is a Arbitrary Command?
   This is when an attacker is able to exploit a security vulnerability in a program, to execute commands on YOUR computer. For example, in this case, By simply executing this SQL query
null/**/union/**/all/**/select/**/concat(user_login,0x3a,user_pass)/**/from/**/wp_users/*
On your server- he is able to add/remove users, Delete Files, and install any number of viruses.

Be on the lookout in the next week for a patch from www.wordpress.com/www.wordpress.org

Hacker Safe?

Please, don't be lulled into a sense of false security just because a website has the hacker-safe logo on it. "Why not?" You ask me, BECAUSE- *DURRRRR* NOTHING IS HACKER SAFE. But why specifically? The hacker safe certification is a subscription program through various Companies, and although your favorite "Adult" website may be hacker safe when you register. This doesn't mean it will be two weeks down the road. What they companies do is they test each registered website every day using a automatic program, and if they find problems they will tell the website. Thats it, they dont fix it, force the website to take down the certification, nothing- they just say "Hey theres a problem." Dont Believe me?

Geeks Get PwN3D

Geeks.com is a $150 million company specializing in the sale of excess inventory and manufacturers' closeouts. Its Web site says that it is tested on a daily basis by ScanAlert Inc., which offers a service that constantly monitors sites for vulnerabilities.

But ScanAlert spokesman Nigel Ravenhill said via e-mail last week that the vendor, which is being acquired by McAfee Inc., had withdrawn its Hacker Safe certification from Geeks.com "several times" last year after finding vulnerabilities in the retailer's systems. Geeks.com fell out of compliance last June and again in December, he said.

The compromised information included names, addresses, telephone numbers and Visa credit card numbers, according to a copy of the letter posted on The Consumerist blog.

Now, What are the implications of this break in? Am I telling you that you should be a paranoid schizo when doing business on the internet? DUH. A wise man once told me "Putting your credit card on the Internet is like putting your naughty parts in a wood grinder." Although its not the most glamorous quote in the world, its true. Listen to the man, dont stick your wah-wah in the wood grinder.

Automated SQL Injection,

If your in a Jam and need to know what this is fast- A SQL Injection is defined as: A form of attack on a database-driven Web site in which the attacker executes unauthorized SQL commands by taking advantage of insecure code on a system connected to the Internet.

Basically a SQL Injection allows an attacker to bypass security measures such as Logons, Admin Panels, and/or retrieve sensitive customer Data from your web-attached database. An example of a SQL injection would be:
statement := "SELECT * FROM users WHERE name = '" + userName + "';"
This would allow an attacker to pull up stats on a specified username.
What this most recent attack (Listed below) does is it can automatically run a series of common SQL Exploits to gain access to your server and run malicious code giving them access to any of your customer's computers. More to come later



Tens of thousands of Web sites have been compromised by an automated SQL injection attack, and although some have been cleaned, others continue to serve visitors a malicious script that tries to hijack their PCs using multiple exploits, security experts said this weekend.

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