Highcompress Image Compressor <= 5.0.0 - Missing Authorization via multiple AJAX actions
Strategic Overview
- Status
- Patched in 6.0.0
- Affected Plugin
- Highcompress Image Compressor
- Affected Version
<= 5.0.0- CVSS
- 6.5Medium
- Weakness type
- CWE-862 · Missing Authorization
- CVE
CVE-2023-40209
At a glance
CVE-2023-40209 is a medium-severity Missing Authorization vulnerability in the Highcompress Image Compressor WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 5.0.0. It carries a CVSS score of 6.5 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity). Exploitation requires no authentication. The issue is fixed in version 6.0.0; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed August 2023, reported by Abdi Pranata.
Vulnerability Overview
The Highcompress Image Compressor plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized modification of datadue to a missing capability check on the 'verify_highcompress_process_auto', 'verify_highcompress_process_images', and 'verify_highcompress_api_key' AJAX functions in versions up to, and including, 5.0.0. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with subscriber-level access and above, to compress images and verify or modify the plugin's API key.
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
Highcompress Image Compressor <= 5.0.0 carries this weakness at verify_highcompress_process_auto, and reaching it 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 Highcompress Image Compressor the fix is 6.0.0: builds <= 5.0.0 are affected, anything from 6.0.0 onward is not.
Remediation
Update to version 6.0.0, 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: Highcompress Image Compressor 6.0.0 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.
- Login Security
- Alerts
External References
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