CVE-2022-41609

Better Messages <= 1.9.10.68 - Server-Side Request Forgery

2022-10-21 00:00
Dhakal Ananda

Strategic Overview

Status
Patched in 1.9.10.69
Affected Plugin
Better Messages – Chat Rooms, Group Chat, Private Messages & AI Chat Bots
Affected Version
<= 1.9.10.68
CVSS
7.4High
Weakness type
CWE-918 · Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF)
CVE
CVE-2022-41609
View all Better Messages – Chat Rooms, Group Chat, Private Messages & AI Chat Bots vulnerabilities

At a glance

CVE-2022-41609 is a high-severity Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) vulnerability in the Better Messages WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 1.9.10.68. It carries a CVSS score of 7.4 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity). The issue is fixed in version 1.9.10.69; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed October 2022, reported by Dhakal Ananda.

Vulnerability Overview

The Better Messages plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Server-Side Request Forgery in versions up to 1.9.10.68. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with subscriber-level privileges or higher, to interact with internal network hosts via specially crafted requests and can lead to sensitive information disclosure..

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-918: Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF)

Reaching this weakness in Better Messages <= 1.9.10.68 takes a caller who can reach the endpoint. Server-side request forgery means the application fetches a URL supplied by the caller, turning the server into a proxy for requests the attacker could not make directly.

The request originates from inside the hosting network, which is how these flaws reach cloud metadata endpoints, internal admin panels and services that trust local traffic. For Better Messages the fix is 1.9.10.69: builds <= 1.9.10.68 are affected, anything from 1.9.10.69 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 1.9.10.69, or a newer patched version

How does WordSec protect against this?

The attempt arrives as an ordinary request to Better Messages: WordSec's web application firewall inspects request payloads before WordPress loads them. None of that substitutes for the fix: Better Messages 1.9.10.69 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

  • Firewall
  • Alerts

External References

https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-41609https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/70f2965a-37fe-4b7e-890a-9bf73b5de1c7https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-41609

Related records

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