CVE-2023-5644

WP Mail Log <= 1.1.2 - Incorrect Authorization to Authenticated (Contributor+) Data Viewing and Deletion

2023-11-28 00:00

Strategic Overview

Status: Patched in 1.1.3
Affected Plugin: WP Mail Log
Affected Version: <= 1.1.2
CVSS: 6.4Medium
Weakness type: CWE-863 · Incorrect Authorization
CVE: CVE-2023-5644

At a glance

CVE-2023-5644 is a medium-severity Incorrect Authorization vulnerability in the WP Mail Log WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 1.1.2. It carries a CVSS score of 6.4 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity). Exploitation requires an authenticated account at Contributor level or above. The issue is fixed in version 1.1.3; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed November 2023, reported by dc11.

Vulnerability Overview

The WP Mail Log plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized modification of data due to an insufficient capability check on the check_permission() function in all versions up to, and including, 1.1.2. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with contributor-level access and above, to access REST routes that they should not have access to and delete data.

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-863: Incorrect Authorization

WP Mail Log <= 1.1.2 carries this weakness at check_permission(), and reaching it takes an account at Contributor level or above. Incorrect authorization means a permission check exists but evaluates the wrong thing, so it passes for callers it was meant to stop.

The action runs for users the code intended to exclude, with the same effect as having no check at all. For WP Mail Log the fix is 1.1.3: builds <= 1.1.2 are affected, anything from 1.1.3 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 1.1.3, 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: WP Mail Log 1.1.3 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

Login Security
Alerts

External References

https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-5644 https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/bf169c9c-26f6-4af7-926e-1be34e638fd6 https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-5644

Related records

Other vulnerabilities in WP Mail Log

CVSS Vector

6.4

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

Base

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

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