[wp-trac] [WordPress Trac] #21420: Login without salted MD5 Password

[WordPress Trac]

#21420: Login without salted MD5 Password
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 Reporter:  shubhamoy                  |       Owner:
     Type:  defect (bug)               |      Status:  closed
 Priority:  normal                     |   Milestone:
Component:  General                    |     Version:  3.4.1
 Severity:  normal                     |  Resolution:  invalid
 Keywords:  needs-patch needs-testing  |
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Changes (by dd32):

 * status:  new => closed
 * resolution:   => invalid
 * milestone:  Awaiting Review =>


Comment:

 Historically, !WordPress stored passwords as an unsalted md5 (#2394),
 obviously this was insecure in the event that an attacker gained access to
 the md5'd password.

 !WordPress allows for those with the old style passwords (hashed md5's) to
 login using it, and the password is immediately rehashed with the new
 format and re-saved to the database. This allows for a rolling upgrade
 when users log in (as since they were stored as md5's, the password was
 not known, and therefor could not be rehashed until the user logged in).

 As a result, if you have access to the database, you can create users, or
 edit users, and change their password to a unsalted md5 and trigger the
 upgrade path.

 So: !WordPress never stores passwords unsalted or in an insecure form
 anymore (Since 2.5), however, If you have a compromised database server,
 it's possible to alter users, and gain access to the site.  Similarily, if
 an attacker gains file-level access, they can gain access to the site as
 well. !WordPress is only as secure as the server it's hosted on.

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Ticket URL: <http://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/21420#comment:1>
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