WP Remote Users Sync <= 1.2.12 - Authenticated (Subscriber+) Server Side Request Forgery
Strategic Overview
- Status
- Patched in 1.2.13
- Affected Plugin
- WP Remote Users Sync
- Affected Version
<= 1.2.12- CVSS
- 8.5High
- Weakness type
- CWE-918 · Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF)
- CVE
CVE-2023-3958
At a glance
CVE-2023-3958 is a high-severity Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) vulnerability in the WP Remote Users Sync WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 1.2.12. It carries a CVSS score of 8.5 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity; high confidentiality impact). Exploitation requires an authenticated account at Subscriber level or above. The issue is fixed in version 1.2.13; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed August 2023, reported by István Márton.
Vulnerability Overview
The WP Remote Users Sync plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Server Side Request Forgery via the 'notify_ping_remote' AJAX function in versions up to, and including, 1.2.12. This can allow authenticated attackers with subscriber-level permissions or above to make web requests to arbitrary locations originating from the web application and can be used to query and modify information from internal services. This was partially patched in version 1.2.12 and fully patched in version 1.2.13.
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-918: Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF)
WP Remote Users Sync <= 1.2.12 carries this weakness at notify_ping_remote, and reaching it takes an account at Subscriber level or above. Server-side request forgery means the application fetches a URL supplied by the caller, turning the server into a proxy for requests the attacker could not make directly.
The request originates from inside the hosting network, which is how these flaws reach cloud metadata endpoints, internal admin panels and services that trust local traffic. For WP Remote Users Sync the fix is 1.2.13: builds <= 1.2.12 are affected, anything from 1.2.13 onward is not.
Remediation
Update to version 1.2.13, or a newer patched version
How does WordSec protect against this?
An attacker needs Subscriber access first, so the firewall sees the attempt as traffic from a logged-in account: WordSec's web application firewall inspects request payloads before WordPress loads them. None of that substitutes for the fix: WP Remote Users Sync 1.2.13 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.
- Firewall
- Alerts
External References
Related records
Other vulnerabilities in WP Remote Users Sync
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