CVE-2017-8875 in Clean Login Plugin
Summary
by MITRE
CSRF in the Clean Login plugin before 1.8 for WordPress allows remote attackers to change the login redirect URL or logout redirect URL.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/25/2020
The CVE-2017-8875 vulnerability represents a cross-site request forgery flaw within the Clean Login plugin for WordPress systems. This security weakness affects versions prior to 1.8 and specifically targets the plugin's handling of login and logout redirect configurations. The vulnerability arises from insufficient validation of user requests, allowing malicious actors to manipulate the redirect behavior of WordPress login and logout functions through crafted web requests.
This CSRF vulnerability operates by exploiting the trust relationship between the WordPress administrator and the Clean Login plugin. When a user with administrative privileges visits a malicious website or clicks on a specially crafted link, the attacker can submit requests that modify the plugin's redirect settings without the user's knowledge or consent. The flaw stems from the plugin's failure to implement proper anti-CSRF tokens or request validation mechanisms, making it possible for unauthorized modifications to critical authentication flow parameters.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple redirect manipulation, as it can enable attackers to create persistent backdoors or facilitate further attacks within the WordPress environment. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could redirect users to malicious sites during login or logout processes, potentially harvesting credentials or delivering malware. This weakness also aligns with CWE-352, which categorizes cross-site request forgery vulnerabilities, and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1548.002 for privilege escalation through abuse of login redirect functionality.
The security implications of CVE-2017-8875 are particularly concerning in environments where WordPress administrators frequently visit external websites or where users may be tricked into clicking malicious links. The vulnerability demonstrates how seemingly minor configuration options can become significant security risks when proper input validation and request authentication mechanisms are absent. Organizations using affected versions of the Clean Login plugin should immediately implement mitigation strategies including plugin updates, network monitoring for suspicious redirect modifications, and user education about the dangers of visiting untrusted websites while logged into administrative WordPress sessions. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of maintaining current security patches and following secure coding practices that incorporate CSRF protection mechanisms such as token validation and origin checking to prevent unauthorized modifications to critical system parameters.