WP Private Message < 1.0.6 - Insecure Direct Object Reference
Strategic Overview
- Status
- Patched in 1.0.6
- Affected Plugin
- WP Private Message
- Affected Version
< 1.0.6- CVSS
- 7.1High
- Weakness type
- CWE-639 · Authorization Bypass Through User-Controlled Key
- CVE
CVE-2023-0453
At a glance
CVE-2023-0453 is a high-severity Authorization Bypass Through User-Controlled Key vulnerability in the WP Private Message WordPress plugin, affecting versions < 1.0.6. It carries a CVSS score of 7.1 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity; high confidentiality impact). The issue is fixed in version 1.0.6; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed January 2023, reported by Veshraj Ghimire.
Vulnerability Overview
The WP Private Message plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to insecure direct object reference in versions up to, and including, 1.0.6. This is due to insufficient validation on a user-controlled key identifying private messages between users. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers with subscriber-level capabilities and above to read arbitrary messages.
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.
CWE-639: Authorization Bypass Through User-Controlled Key
Reaching this weakness in WP Private Message < 1.0.6 takes a caller who can reach the endpoint. Authorization bypass through a user-controlled key, often called insecure direct object reference, means the application looks up a record by an identifier from the request without checking that the caller owns it.
Changing a number in the request is enough to read or modify other users' records, which on commerce and membership sites means customer data. For WP Private Message the fix is 1.0.6: builds < 1.0.6 are affected, anything from 1.0.6 onward is not.
Remediation
Update to version 1.0.6, 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 Private Message 1.0.6 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.
- Login Security
- Alerts
External References
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