Google Map Shortcode <= 3.1.2 - Cross-Site Request Forgery to Plugin Setting Update
Strategic Overview
- Status
- Unpatched
- Affected Plugin
- Google Map Shortcode
- Affected Version
<= 3.1.2- CVSS
- 4.3Medium
- Weakness type
- CWE-352 · Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF)
- CVE
CVE-2023-38396
At a glance
CVE-2023-38396 is a medium-severity Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in the Google Map Shortcode WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 3.1.2. It carries a CVSS score of 4.3 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity). Exploitation requires no authentication. No fixed release has been reported yet; treat installations running this software as exposed. Disclosed July 2023, reported by thiennv.
Vulnerability Overview
The Google Map Shortcode plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Cross-Site Request Forgery in versions up to, and including, 3.1.2. This is due to missing or incorrect nonce validation on the gmshc_options_page() function. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to modify the plugin's settings via a forged request granted they can trick a site administrator into performing an action such as clicking on a link.
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.
CWE-352: Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF)
Google Map Shortcode <= 3.1.2 carries this weakness at gmshc_options_page(), and reaching it takes a caller who can reach the endpoint. Cross-site request forgery abuses the fact that browsers attach a victim's cookies to any request, so a state-changing action that only checks who you are, not whether you meant to act, can be triggered from another site.
An attacker who gets a logged-in user to load a crafted page can perform that action as them, with the impact scaling to whatever the victim's role is allowed to do. No fixed build of this plugin is recorded for Google Map Shortcode yet, so installs running <= 3.1.2 stay exposed until the vendor ships one.
Remediation
No known patch available. Please review the vulnerability's details in depth and employ mitigations based on your organization's risk tolerance. It may be best to uninstall the affected software and find a replacement.
How does WordSec protect against this?
The attempt arrives as an ordinary request to Google Map Shortcode: WordSec's web application firewall inspects request payloads before WordPress loads them. No patched version is recorded yet, which is the case where a filtering layer matters most, because there is nothing to update to.
- Firewall
- Alerts
External References
Related records
Other vulnerabilities in Google Map Shortcode
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