The W3 Total Cache plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Sensitive Information Exposure in versions up to, and including, 2.7.5 via Google OAuth API secrets stored in plaintext in the publicly visible plugin source. This can allow unauthenticated attackers to impersonate W3 Total Cache and gain access to user account information in successful conditions. This would not impact the WordPress users site in any way.
The product stores sensitive information in cleartext within a resource that might be accessible to another control sphere.
| Name | Vendor | Start Version | End Version |
|---|---|---|---|
| W3_total_cache | Boldgrid | * | 2.7.6 (excluding) |
Because the information is stored in cleartext (i.e., unencrypted), attackers could potentially read it. Even if the information is encoded in a way that is not human-readable, certain techniques could determine which encoding is being used, then decode the information. When organizations adopt cloud services, it can be easier for attackers to access the data from anywhere on the Internet. In some systems/environments such as cloud, the use of “double encryption” (at both the software and hardware layer) might be required, and the developer might be solely responsible for both layers, instead of shared responsibility with the administrator of the broader system/environment.