CVE-2023-5533

AI ChatBot <= 4.8.9 and 4.9.2 - Missing Authorization on AJAX actions

2023-10-11 00:00
Marco Wotschka

Strategic Overview

Status
Patched in 4.9.1
Affected Plugin
WPBot – AI ChatBot for Live Support, Lead Generation, WordPress Automation, AI Services
Affected Version
4.8.9 – 4.9.2 · 2 branches
CVSS
5.3Medium
Weakness type
CWE-862 · Missing Authorization
CVE
CVE-2023-5533
View all WPBot – AI ChatBot for Live Support, Lead Generation, WordPress Automation, AI Services vulnerabilities

At a glance

CVE-2023-5533 is a medium-severity Missing Authorization vulnerability in the WPBot WordPress plugin, affecting versions 4.8.9 – 4.9.2 · 2 branches. It carries a CVSS score of 5.3 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity). Exploitation requires no authentication. The issue is fixed in version 4.9.1; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed October 2023, reported by Marco Wotschka.

Vulnerability Overview

The AI ChatBot plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized use of AJAX actions due to missing capability checks on the corresponding functions in versions up to, and including, 4.8.9 as well as 4.9.2. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to perform some of those actions that were intended for higher privileged users.

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 privileges on the target site, and no interaction from a victim user.

CWE-862: Missing Authorization

Reaching this weakness in WPBot 4.8.9 – 4.9.2 · 2 branches takes a caller who can reach the endpoint. 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 WPBot the fix is 4.9.1: builds 4.8.9 – 4.9.2 · 2 branches are affected, anything from 4.9.1 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to one of the following versions, or a newer patched version: 4.9.1, 4.9.3

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: WPBot 4.9.1 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

  • Login Security
  • Alerts

External References

https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-5533https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/a9db002f-ff41-493a-87b1-5f0b4b07cfc2https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-5533

Related records

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