CVE-2023-45002

WP User Frontend <= 3.6.8 - Missing Authorization via AJAX actions

2023-10-03 00:00
Abdi Pranata

Strategic Overview

Status
Patched in 3.6.9
Affected Plugin
User Frontend – Membership, User Registration, User Profile, User Directory & Content Restriction with Frontend Post Submission
Affected Version
<= 3.6.8
CVSS
4.3Medium
Weakness type
CWE-862 · Missing Authorization
CVE
CVE-2023-45002
View all User Frontend – Membership, User Registration, User Profile, User Directory & Content Restriction with Frontend Post Submission vulnerabilities

At a glance

CVE-2023-45002 is a medium-severity Missing Authorization vulnerability in the User Frontend WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 3.6.8. It carries a CVSS score of 4.3 (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 3.6.9; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed October 2023, reported by Abdi Pranata.

Vulnerability Overview

The WP User Frontend plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized functionality use due to a missing capability check on several functions corresponding to AJAX actions in versions up to, and including, 3.6.8. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with subscriber-level access and above, to install some plugins, delete user packages, list taxonomies, dismiss promotional offers, and review notices, and preview forms.

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-862: Missing Authorization

Reaching this weakness in User Frontend <= 3.6.8 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 User Frontend the fix is 3.6.9: builds <= 3.6.8 are affected, anything from 3.6.9 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 3.6.9, 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: User Frontend 3.6.9 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

  • Login Security
  • Alerts

External References

https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-45002https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/8e8e967f-f627-4c0c-ac0f-0a66ae25c602https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-45002

Related records

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