CVE-2023-4600

AffiliateWP <= 2.14.0 - Missing Authorization to Authenticated (Subscriber+) Arbitrary Plugin Activation

2023-08-29 00:00

Strategic Overview

Status: Patched in 2.14.1
Affected Plugin: AffiliateWP
Affected Version: 2.14.0
CVSS: 4.3Medium
Weakness type: CWE-862 · Missing Authorization
CVE: CVE-2023-4600

At a glance

CVE-2023-4600 is a medium-severity Missing Authorization vulnerability in the AffiliateWP WordPress plugin, affecting versions 2.14.0. It carries a CVSS score of 4.3 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity). Exploitation requires an authenticated account at Subscriber level or above. The issue is fixed in version 2.14.1; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed August 2023, reported by István Márton.

Vulnerability Overview

The AffiliateWP for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized modification of data due to a missing capability check on the 'affwp_activate_addons_page_plugin' function called via an AJAX action in versions up to, and including, 2.14.0. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with subscriber-level access and above, to activate arbitrary plugins.

Technical Analysis

The vector marks this flaw as remotely reachable over the network, with low attack complexity — no special timing or configuration is needed, and no interaction from a victim user.

CWE-862: Missing Authorization

AffiliateWP 2.14.0 carries this weakness at affwp_activate_addons_page_plugin, and reaching it takes an account at Subscriber level or above. A missing authorization check means a function is reachable by anyone who can reach the endpoint, because the code never asks whether the caller is allowed to perform the action.

Any user who can reach the endpoint gets to run an action reserved for higher-privileged roles, from reading protected data to changing settings or content. For AffiliateWP the fix is 2.14.1: builds 2.14.0 are affected, anything from 2.14.1 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 2.14.1, or a newer patched version

How does WordSec protect against this?

Because it turns on account access, WordSec's login security is the relevant layer: role-based two-factor, captcha and brute-force limits raise the cost of getting the account this needs. None of that substitutes for the fix: AffiliateWP 2.14.1 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

Login Security
Alerts

External References

https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-4600 https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/eab422b8-8cf5-441e-a21f-6a0e1b7642b2 https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-4600

Related records

Other vulnerabilities in AffiliateWP

CVSS Vector

4.3

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N

Base

Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges RequiredLow
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
ConfidentialityNone
IntegrityLow
AvailabilityNone

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