CVE-2023-3713

ProfileGrid <= 5.5.1 - Authenticated (Subscriber+) Arbitrary Option Update

2023-07-17 00:00
István Márton

Strategic Overview

Status
Patched in 5.5.2
Affected Plugin
ProfileGrid – User Profiles, Groups and Communities
Affected Version
<= 5.5.1
CVSS
8.8High
Weakness type
CWE-862 · Missing Authorization
CVE
CVE-2023-3713
View all ProfileGrid – User Profiles, Groups and Communities vulnerabilities

At a glance

CVE-2023-3713 is a high-severity Missing Authorization vulnerability in the ProfileGrid WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 5.5.1. 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 5.5.2; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed July 2023, reported by István Márton.

Vulnerability Overview

The ProfileGrid plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized modification of data due to a missing capability check on the 'profile_magic_check_smtp_connection' function in versions up to, and including, 5.5.1. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with subscriber-level permissions or above to update the site options arbitrarily. This can be used by attackers to achieve 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

ProfileGrid <= 5.5.1 carries this weakness at profile_magic_check_smtp_connection, 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 ProfileGrid the fix is 5.5.2: builds <= 5.5.1 are affected, anything from 5.5.2 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 5.5.2, 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: ProfileGrid 5.5.2 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

  • Login Security
  • Alerts

External References

https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-3713https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/473ba791-af99-4aae-99cb-ccf220e443e7https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-3713

Related records

Vulnerability data © Defiant, Inc., provided under the Wordfence Intelligence T&C