100 differeny ways to test WordPress vulnerabilities

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Testing a WordPress URL or webpage for vulnerabilities involves a structured methodology, leveraging both automated tools and manual techniques. Below are 100 different ways categorized into specific areas for comprehensive security testing:

1. General Information Gathering

  1. WHOIS Lookup: Gather information about the domain and registrar.
  2. Subdomain Enumeration: Find subdomains using tools like sublist3r or amass.
  3. CMS Detection: Confirm WordPress with tools like whatweb or wpscan.
  4. Identify Plugins: Use wpscan or manual checks to enumerate plugins.
  5. Theme Identification: Detect the active theme through source code inspection.
  6. WordPress Version Check: Determine the WordPress version using wpscan or headers.
  7. Directory Enumeration: Probe directories using tools like dirb or gobuster.
  8. Content Discovery: Look for sensitive files like .htaccess, wp-config.php, or backup files.
  9. Identify Hosting Provider: Use tools like builtwith to find hosting details.
  10. Google Dorking: Search for indexed sensitive files (e.g., "inurl:wp-content").

2. WordPress-Specific Vulnerabilities

  1. Admin Panel Exposure: Check if /wp-admin or /wp-login.php is accessible.
  2. Default Credentials: Test for admin:admin or other weak/default passwords.
  3. XML-RPC Exploitation: Test for XML-RPC brute force or pingback DDoS vulnerabilities.
  4. Unprotected REST API: Test endpoints for unauthenticated data access.
  5. wp-config Backup: Look for exposed wp-config.php backups (wp-config.php.bak).
  6. Version-Specific Exploits: Check CVEs for the detected WordPress version.
  7. Debug Mode: Verify if WP_DEBUG is enabled and exposing sensitive data.
  8. Directory Indexing: Check /wp-content/uploads or other folders for open indexing.
  9. TimThumb Vulnerability: Exploit outdated timthumb.php scripts.
  10. Exposed WP-Cron: Look for exposed WP-Cron URLs.

3. User and Authentication Issues

  1. Username Enumeration: Use ?author=1 or REST API to enumerate usernames.
  2. Weak Password Policy: Test for common passwords using brute-force tools.
  3. Session Hijacking: Analyze cookies for secure/HTTP-only flags.
  4. Account Lockout: Check if there’s a lockout mechanism for failed login attempts.
  5. Unnecessary Roles: Check for users with excessive privileges.
  6. Login URL Exposure: Check for /login or /admin redirects.
  7. Forgot Password Abuse: Test the password reset mechanism for token reuse.

4. Plugin Vulnerabilities

  1. Vulnerable Plugins: Scan plugin versions against public CVEs (using wpscan).
  2. Plugin Enumeration: Identify plugins through source code or tools.
  3. File Upload Abuse: Exploit upload forms in plugins like Contact Form 7.
  4. Shortcode Abuse: Test plugins allowing user input in shortcodes.
  5. Reflected XSS: Look for unescaped plugin parameters in URLs.
  6. Stored XSS: Test plugin forms for persistent XSS.
  7. SQL Injection: Test plugin parameters for SQLi (e.g., ?id=1 OR 1=1).
  8. CSRF in Plugins: Test for lack of CSRF tokens in plugin functionalities.
  9. Unauthenticated Admin Access: Check if plugins allow access without authentication.
  10. Known Exploits: Exploit known plugin vulnerabilities using metasploit or exploit-db.

5. Theme Vulnerabilities

  1. Outdated Themes: Verify theme version and check for CVEs.
  2. Custom Theme Injection: Test custom themes for poorly sanitized inputs.
  3. Insecure Functions: Look for insecure eval() or exec() calls in themes.
  4. Hardcoded Credentials: Search theme files for sensitive information.
  5. Exploitable Template Files: Test files like 404.php for code injection.
  6. File Inclusion: Test for Local/Remote File Inclusion (LFI/RFI) in theme files.
  7. Script Injection: Check for inline JavaScript or CSS injection vulnerabilities.

6. Web Server and Hosting Issues

  1. HTTP Headers: Test for missing security headers (X-Frame-Options, CSP, etc.).
  2. SSL Configuration: Use ssllabs.com to test HTTPS implementation.
  3. Open Ports: Perform a port scan using nmap.
  4. Server Version Disclosure: Check server headers for version disclosure.
  5. Misconfigured Permissions: Verify file permissions (chmod 777 vulnerabilities).
  6. PHP Version: Check for outdated or vulnerable PHP versions.
  7. Backup File Exposure: Search for .zip, .tar.gz, or .sql files.

7. Injection Attacks

  1. SQL Injection: Test form inputs and URL parameters.
  2. Command Injection: Test for ; ls or && whoami injection opportunities.
  3. XPath Injection: Exploit XML inputs for unauthorized queries.
  4. LDAP Injection: Test for injection vulnerabilities in LDAP queries.

8. Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)

  1. Reflected XSS: Use payloads like <script>alert(1)</script> in URL parameters.
  2. Stored XSS: Test inputs stored in the database (e.g., comments, posts).
  3. DOM XSS: Analyze JavaScript for insecure DOM-based input handling.
  4. POST XSS: Test POST forms for input sanitization.

9. File Upload Vulnerabilities

  1. PHP Shell Upload: Attempt to upload .php shells.
  2. Double Extensions: Test uploads like shell.php.jpg.
  3. Content-Type Bypass: Use tools to manipulate headers for file uploads.
  4. Directory Traversal: Exploit upload paths with ../ sequences.
  5. Malware Injection: Test file upload paths for malicious file execution.

10. Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF)

  1. CSRF Tokens: Verify presence of anti-CSRF tokens in forms.
  2. CSRF in Forms: Test actions like password changes or settings updates.

11. Broken Access Control

  1. Admin Panel Access: Check if non-admin users can access /wp-admin.
  2. Privileged Functionality: Test if low-privilege users can perform admin actions.
  3. Direct File Access: Check if unauthorized users can access /wp-config.php.

12. Security Misconfigurations

  1. Indexing Sensitive Files: Test for indexed backups or configuration files.
  2. Error Messages: Verify if error messages disclose sensitive information.
  3. Debug Logs: Look for exposed logs (debug.log).
  4. Default File Locations: Check for /readme.html or /license.txt.

13. Cryptographic Issues

  1. Weak Password Storage: Analyze hash algorithms (e.g., MD5, SHA1).
  2. SSL/TLS Vulnerabilities: Test for weak ciphers or protocols (e.g., SSLv3).
  3. Insecure Cookie Handling: Check for missing secure and httpOnly flags.

14. Denial of Service (DoS)

  1. Login Brute Force: Test login page with repeated password attempts.
  2. XML-RPC DoS: Abuse XML-RPC pingback for amplification attacks.
  3. REST API Abuse: Exploit resource-intensive API calls.
  4. Search Form Abuse: Flood search forms with large payloads.

15. Automated Tools for WordPress Security

  1. WPScan: Enumerate and test for common vulnerabilities.
  2. Nikto: Scan for web server issues.
  3. Burp Suite: Intercept and analyze HTTP requests.
  4. Nessus: Perform vulnerability scans on the site.
  5. Acunetix: Comprehensive web application scanner.
  6. OWASP ZAP: Intercept and scan for vulnerabilities.

16. Post-Exploitation Checks

  1. Backdoor Checks: Scan uploaded files for malicious backdoors.
  2. Data Extraction: Attempt to exfiltrate sensitive information.
  3. Privilege Escalation: Exploit vulnerabilities to escalate privileges.
  4. Code Execution: Execute arbitrary commands on the server.

17. Advanced Techniques

  1. Timing Attacks: Exploit delays in responses for information leaks.
  2. Blind SQL Injection: Infer results using conditional responses.
  3. Content Injection: Insert malicious content into poorly sanitized inputs.
  4. Cache Poisoning: Manipulate cached responses for exploitation.

18. Social Engineering

  1. Phishing for Admin Credentials: Simulate phishing attacks.
  2. Weak CAPTCHA: Bypass CAPTCHA if implemented poorly.

19. Log and Monitoring

  1. Audit Logs: Analyze logs for sensitive data exposure.
  2. Log Injection: Insert malicious entries into logs.

20. Third-Party Services

  1. CDN Vulnerabilities: Test for issues in Cloudflare or similar setups.
  2. External API Abuse: Test APIs integrated into WordPress.
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