Modal Survey < 2.0.1.8.2 - Authorization Bypass

2021-01-08 00:00
Pagely

Strategic Overview

Status
Patched in 2.0.1.8.2
Affected Plugin
Modal Survey - WordPress Poll, Survey & Quiz Plugin
Affected Version
< 2.0.1.8.2
CVSS
7.5High
Weakness type
CWE-285 · Improper Authorization
CVE
CVE pending
View all Modal Survey - WordPress Poll, Survey & Quiz Plugin vulnerabilities

At a glance

This record tracks a high-severity Improper Authorization vulnerability in the Modal Survey - WordPress Poll, Survey & Quiz Plugin WordPress plugin, affecting versions < 2.0.1.8.2. It carries a CVSS score of 7.5 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity; high integrity impact). Exploitation requires no authentication. The issue is fixed in version 2.0.1.8.2; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed January 2021, reported by Pagely.

Vulnerability Overview

The Modal Survey Plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Arbitrary Survey Update, Deletion and Creation in versions before 2.0.1.8.2 via the 'ajax_survey' AJAX action due to lacking capability checks. This allows unauthenticated attackers to create, update, or delete arbitrary surveys.

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. A successful exploit has high impact on integrity.

CWE-285: Improper Authorization

Modal Survey - WordPress Poll, Survey & Quiz Plugin < 2.0.1.8.2 carries this weakness at ajax_survey, and reaching it takes a caller who can reach the endpoint. Improper authorization means a permission check exists but does not cover the case being exercised, so a caller who is allowed to do one thing is allowed to do a neighbouring thing as well.

A lower-privileged account performs an action reserved for a higher one, which on a multi-author or membership site means an ordinary user reaching administrative behaviour. For Modal Survey - WordPress Poll, Survey & Quiz Plugin the fix is 2.0.1.8.2: builds < 2.0.1.8.2 are affected, anything from 2.0.1.8.2 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 2.0.1.8.2, 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: Modal Survey - WordPress Poll, Survey & Quiz Plugin 2.0.1.8.2 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

  • Login Security
  • Alerts

External References

https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/d0215e53-0394-4845-93e4-463cd5642fb3

Related records

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