CVE-2019-14682 in acf-better-search Plugin
Summary
by MITRE
The acf-better-search (aka ACF: Better Search) plugin before 3.3.1 for WordPress allows wp-admin/options-general.php?page=acfbs_admin_page CSRF.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/21/2023
The CVE-2019-14682 vulnerability affects the acf-better-search plugin version 3.3.0 and earlier in the WordPress ecosystem, representing a critical cross-site request forgery flaw that compromises administrative privileges. This vulnerability specifically targets the wp-admin/options-general.php?page=acfbs_admin_page endpoint, which serves as the administrative interface for configuring the ACF: Better Search plugin settings. The flaw allows authenticated attackers with administrative access to manipulate plugin configurations through maliciously crafted requests, potentially enabling unauthorized modifications to search functionality and related administrative settings.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from the absence of proper anti-CSRF token validation within the plugin's administrative interface. When administrators access the plugin's configuration page, the system fails to verify the authenticity of requests originating from legitimate administrative sessions. This omission creates a pathway for attackers who can craft malicious requests that appear to originate from authenticated users, exploiting the trust relationship between the WordPress admin interface and the affected plugin. The vulnerability manifests when an authenticated user visits a malicious website that contains embedded requests to modify the ACF: Better Search plugin settings without proper validation of the request source or user intent.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple configuration changes, as it provides attackers with potential access to sensitive search parameters and administrative controls within the WordPress environment. An attacker could leverage this vulnerability to modify search behavior, potentially affecting how content is indexed and retrieved within the WordPress site. This could lead to information disclosure, content manipulation, or even serve as a stepping stone for further attacks within the WordPress environment. The vulnerability particularly affects sites where the ACF: Better Search plugin is actively used for advanced search functionality, as the compromised administrative access could allow manipulation of search indexes and related data structures that are critical to site operations.
Organizations should immediately update to version 3.3.1 or later of the acf-better-search plugin to remediate this vulnerability, as no workarounds are available given the nature of the CSRF flaw. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses in web applications. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1078.004 - Valid Accounts: Cloud Accounts and T1566.001 - Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment, as attackers could exploit this weakness through social engineering campaigns targeting administrators. The affected WordPress environment should also implement additional security measures such as role-based access controls, regular security audits, and monitoring for unauthorized administrative changes to minimize potential impact from similar vulnerabilities in other plugins or components.