CVE-2017-18523 in eelv-newsletter Plugin
Summary
by MITRE
The eelv-newsletter plugin before 4.6.1 for WordPress has CSRF in the address book.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/27/2023
The CVE-2017-18523 vulnerability affects the eelv-newsletter plugin for WordPress, specifically versions prior to 4.6.1, and represents a cross-site request forgery flaw within the plugin's address book functionality. This vulnerability allows authenticated attackers with access to the WordPress admin panel to perform unauthorized actions on behalf of legitimate users without their knowledge or consent. The issue stems from the absence of proper anti-CSRF protection mechanisms in the address book management features, which are commonly used for managing subscriber lists and contact information within newsletter systems.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the plugin's failure to validate the origin of requests made to modify address book entries. When administrators interact with the address book functionality, the plugin does not require a valid anti-CSRF token or referer validation to confirm that requests originate from legitimate sources within the WordPress administration interface. This allows malicious actors who have gained access to a user's session or who can trick the user into visiting a malicious website to execute unauthorized operations such as adding, modifying, or deleting contact entries in the address book. The vulnerability specifically targets authenticated users who possess sufficient privileges to access the newsletter plugin's administrative features.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data manipulation as it can be leveraged to compromise the integrity of subscriber lists and potentially facilitate more sophisticated attacks. Attackers could exploit this flaw to inject malicious email addresses into the address book, which could then be used for spam distribution or phishing campaigns. The compromised address book data could also serve as a foundation for social engineering attacks or be used to gain further access to the WordPress installation through the newsletter plugin's integration with other system components. Additionally, the presence of unauthorized modifications in the address book could disrupt legitimate newsletter operations and compromise the trust relationship between the website and its subscribers.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability primarily involve updating the eelv-newsletter plugin to version 4.6.1 or later, which includes proper anti-CSRF token implementation and validation mechanisms. Organizations should also implement additional defensive measures such as ensuring that WordPress installations maintain current plugin versions through automated update systems or regular security audits. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls can provide additional layers of defense by monitoring for suspicious request patterns and validating request origins. From a broader security perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which describes cross-site request forgery vulnerabilities, and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1213.002 for credential access through web application attacks. Regular security assessments of WordPress installations, including plugin and theme vulnerability scanning, should be conducted to identify and remediate similar issues before they can be exploited by threat actors.