CVE-2023-3714

ProfileGrid <= 5.5.2 - Missing Authorization to Arbitrary Group Option Modification and Privilege Escalation

2023-07-17 00:00
István Márton

Strategic Overview

Status
Patched in 5.5.3
Affected Plugin
ProfileGrid – User Profiles, Groups and Communities
Affected Version
<= 5.5.2
CVSS
7.5High
Weakness type
CWE-862 · Missing Authorization
CVE
CVE-2023-3714
View all ProfileGrid – User Profiles, Groups and Communities vulnerabilities

At a glance

CVE-2023-3714 is a high-severity Missing Authorization vulnerability in the ProfileGrid WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 5.5.2. It carries a CVSS score of 7.5 (reachable over the network; high confidentiality, integrity, availability impact). The root cause is a missing authorization check on a reachable function. The issue is fixed in version 5.5.3; 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 'edit_group' handler in versions up to, and including, 5.5.2. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with group ownership, to update group options, including the 'associate_role' parameter, which defines the member's role. This issue was partially patched in version 5.5.2 preventing privilege escalation, however, it was fully patched in 5.5.3.

Technical Analysis

The vector marks this flaw as remotely reachable over the network, 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 <= 5.5.2 carries this weakness at edit_group, 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 ProfileGrid the fix is 5.5.3: builds <= 5.5.2 are affected, anything from 5.5.3 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 5.5.3, 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 5.5.3 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

  • Login Security
  • Alerts

External References

https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-3714https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/a4766651-92a6-42c9-81bc-7ea25350f561https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-3714

Related records

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