CVE-2023-6751

Hostinger <= 1.9.7 - Missing Authorization to Maintenance Mode Activation

2024-01-05 00:00

Strategic Overview

Status: Patched in 1.9.8
Affected Plugin: Hostinger Tools
Affected Version: <= 1.9.7
CVSS: 7.3High
Weakness type: CWE-862 · Missing Authorization
CVE: CVE-2023-6751

View all Hostinger Tools vulnerabilities

At a glance

CVE-2023-6751 is a high-severity Missing Authorization vulnerability in the Hostinger Tools WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 1.9.7. It carries a CVSS score of 7.3 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity). Exploitation requires no authentication. The issue is fixed in version 1.9.8; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed January 2024, reported by Lucio Sá.

Vulnerability Overview

The Hostinger plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized plugin settings update due to a missing capability check on the function publish_website in all versions up to, and including, 1.9.7. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to enable and disable maintenance mode.

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 Hostinger Tools <= 1.9.7 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 Hostinger Tools the fix is 1.9.8: builds <= 1.9.7 are affected, anything from 1.9.8 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 1.9.8, 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: Hostinger Tools 1.9.8 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

Login Security
Alerts

External References

https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-6751 https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/d89cf759-5e5f-43e2-90a9-a8e554653ee1 https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-6751

CVSS Vector

7.3

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

Base

Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges RequiredNone
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
ConfidentialityLow
IntegrityLow
AvailabilityLow

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