Ovic Responsive WPBakery <= 1.2.8 - Authenticated (Subscriber+) Arbitrary Option Update
Strategic Overview
- Status
- Patched in 1.2.9
- Affected Plugin
- Ovic Responsive WPBakery
- Affected Version
<= 1.2.8- CVSS
- 8.8High
- Weakness type
- CWE-862 · Missing Authorization
- CVE
CVE-2023-5235
At a glance
CVE-2023-5235 is a high-severity Missing Authorization vulnerability in the Ovic Responsive WPBakery WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 1.2.8. It carries a CVSS score of 8.8 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity; high confidentiality, integrity, availability impact). Exploitation requires an authenticated account at Subscriber level or above. The issue is fixed in version 1.2.9; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed November 2023, reported by Gibran Abdillah.
Vulnerability Overview
The Ovic Responsive WPBakery plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to arbitrary option updates due to a missing capability check on the import_options() function hooked via AJAX n in all versions up to, and including, 1.2.8. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with subscriber-level access and above, to update arbitrary options that can be used for easily privilege escalation.
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 interaction from a victim user. A successful exploit has high impact on confidentiality, integrity, availability — full site compromise territory.
CWE-862: Missing Authorization
Ovic Responsive WPBakery <= 1.2.8 carries this weakness at import_options(), and reaching it takes an account at Subscriber level or above. 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 Ovic Responsive WPBakery the fix is 1.2.9: builds <= 1.2.8 are affected, anything from 1.2.9 onward is not.
Remediation
Update to version 1.2.9, 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: Ovic Responsive WPBakery 1.2.9 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.
- Login Security
- Alerts
External References
Related records
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