CVE-2023-4059

Profile Builder <= 3.9.7 - Missing Authorization to Initial Page Creation

2023-08-08 00:00
Mesh3l_911

Strategic Overview

At a glance

CVE-2023-4059 is a medium-severity Missing Authorization vulnerability in the User Profile Builder WordPress plugin, affecting versions < 3.9.8. It carries a CVSS score of 5.3 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity). Exploitation requires no authentication. The issue is fixed in version 3.9.8; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed August 2023, reported by Mesh3l_911.

Vulnerability Overview

The Profile Builder plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized page creation due to a missing capability check on the wppb_create_form_pages() function called via an admin_init action in versions up to, and including, 3.9.7. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to trigger the initial page creation to support the plugin.

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

User Profile Builder < 3.9.8 carries this weakness at wppb_create_form_pages(), 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 User Profile Builder the fix is 3.9.8: builds < 3.9.8 are affected, anything from 3.9.8 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 3.9.8, 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: User Profile Builder 3.9.8 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

  • Login Security
  • Alerts

External References

Related records

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