Total Theme <= 2.1.19 - Authenticated(Subscriber+) Plugin Activation
Strategic Overview
- Status
- Patched in 2.1.20
- Affected Theme
- Total
- Affected Version
<= 2.1.19- CVSS
- 4.3Medium
- Weakness type
- CWE-862 · Missing Authorization
- CVE
CVE-2023-27456
At a glance
CVE-2023-27456 is a medium-severity Missing Authorization vulnerability in the Total WordPress theme, affecting versions <= 2.1.19. It carries a CVSS score of 4.3 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity). Exploitation requires an authenticated account at Subscriber level or above. The issue is fixed in version 2.1.20; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed March 2023, reported by Dave Jong.
Vulnerability Overview
The Total theme for WordPress is vulnerable to Plugin Activation due to insufficient capability and nonce checks on the 'activate_plugin' function in versions up to, and including, 2.1.19. This allows any authenticated attacker with subscriber-level capabilities or greater to activate arbitrary plugins already installed on the site.
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
Total <= 2.1.19 carries this weakness at activate_plugin, and reaching it takes an account at Subscriber level or above. 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 Total the fix is 2.1.20: builds <= 2.1.19 are affected, anything from 2.1.20 onward is not.
Remediation
Update to version 2.1.20, 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: Total 2.1.20 closes this, and updating the theme is the step that ends it.
- Login Security
- Alerts
External References
Related records
Other vulnerabilities in Total
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