CVE-2020-36831

NextScripts: Social Networks Auto-Poster <= 4.3.17 - Missing Authorization

2020-09-05 00:00

Strategic Overview

Status: Patched in 4.3.18
Affected Plugin: NextScripts: Social Networks Auto-Poster
Affected Version: <= 4.3.17
CVSS: 5.0Medium
Weakness type: CWE-284 · Improper Access Control
CVE: CVE-2020-36831

View all NextScripts: Social Networks Auto-Poster vulnerabilities

At a glance

CVE-2020-36831 is a medium-severity Improper Access Control vulnerability in the NextScripts WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 4.3.17. It carries a CVSS score of 5.0 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity). The root cause is a missing authorization check on a reachable function. The issue is fixed in version 4.3.18; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed September 2020, reported by John Castro.

Vulnerability Overview

The NextScripts: Social Networks Auto-Poster plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to authorization bypass due to missing capability checks on multiple user privilege/security functions provided in versions up to, and including 4.3.17. This makes it possible for low-privileged attackers, like subscribers, to perform restricted actions that would be otherwise locked to a administrative-level user.

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.

CWE-284: Improper Access Control

Reaching this weakness in NextScripts <= 4.3.17 takes a caller who can reach the endpoint. Improper access control means the code decides what a caller may do using something other than their actual permissions, so the decision can be wrong without any check appearing to be missing.

Whoever can shape the request decides the answer, so the protected action runs for callers the code never meant to allow. For NextScripts the fix is 4.3.18: builds <= 4.3.17 are affected, anything from 4.3.18 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 4.3.18, 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: NextScripts 4.3.18 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

Login Security
Alerts

External References

https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-36831 https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/3709465d-6d67-45bd-abb9-4875065b8129 https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-36831

Related records

Other vulnerabilities in NextScripts: Social Networks Auto-Poster

CVSS Vector

5.0

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:L/A:N

Base

Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges RequiredLow
User InteractionNone
ScopeChanged
ConfidentialityNone
IntegrityLow
AvailabilityNone

This record contains material that is subject to copyright

CVE Usage: MITRE hereby grants you a perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive, no-charge, royalty-free, irrevocable copyright license to reproduce, prepare derivative works of, publicly display, publicly perform, sublicense, and distribute Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE®). Any copy you make for such purposes is authorized provided that you reproduce MITRE's copyright designation and this license in any such copy.

https://www.cve.org/Legal/TermsOfUse

Defiant hereby grants you a perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive, no-charge, royalty-free, irrevocable copyright license to reproduce, prepare derivative works of, publicly display, publicly perform, sublicense, and distribute this software vulnerability information. Any copy of the software vulnerability information you make for such purposes is authorized provided that you include a hyperlink to this vulnerability record and reproduce Defiant's copyright designation and this license in any such copy.

https://www.wordfence.com/wordfence-intelligence-terms-and-conditions/