CVE-2020-13426 in Multi-Scheduler Slugin
Summary
by MITRE
The Multi-Scheduler plugin 1.0.0 for WordPress has a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in the forms it presents, allowing the possibility of deleting records (users) when an ID is known.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/26/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-13426 resides within the Multi-Scheduler plugin version 1.0.0 for WordPress platforms, representing a critical cross-site request forgery flaw that undermines the security integrity of affected systems. This CSRF vulnerability specifically targets the plugin's form handling mechanisms, creating a dangerous attack vector that could enable unauthorized deletion of user records when attackers possess knowledge of specific user identifiers. The flaw fundamentally compromises the plugin's ability to authenticate and validate legitimate requests, potentially allowing malicious actors to manipulate the system through crafted requests that appear to originate from authenticated users.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the plugin's failure to implement proper anti-CSRF token validation mechanisms within its user management forms. When users interact with the Multi-Scheduler plugin's administrative interfaces, the system does not adequately verify the authenticity of requests through the absence of unique, time-bound tokens that would normally prevent unauthorized actions. This weakness aligns with CWE-352, which categorizes cross-site request forgery vulnerabilities as those that occur when applications fail to validate the origin of requests, particularly in contexts where user actions are performed without proper authentication verification. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates under the assumption that the attacker already knows the target user ID, making the attack surface more manageable for threat actors who have gained preliminary intelligence about system users.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data deletion, as it represents a significant threat to user account integrity and system security posture. Attackers could potentially leverage this weakness to systematically remove user accounts, disrupt service availability, or create access control issues within the WordPress environment. The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal technical sophistication, as it only necessitates knowledge of a user ID and the ability to craft malicious requests that would be automatically processed by the vulnerable plugin. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where user enumeration or account information might be accessible through other attack vectors, potentially enabling attackers to systematically target multiple accounts. The consequences could include complete user account compromise, service disruption, and potential data loss that could affect the entire WordPress installation's security framework.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should prioritize immediate implementation of anti-CSRF token validation mechanisms within the plugin's administrative interfaces. System administrators must ensure that all user management forms include unique, cryptographically secure tokens that are validated on each request, preventing unauthorized modifications to user records. The recommended approach aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 which emphasizes the importance of validating user access and preventing unauthorized modifications to system resources. Organizations should also implement comprehensive monitoring of user account modifications and consider implementing additional security controls such as rate limiting and access controls to prevent abuse of the vulnerable functionality. The most effective immediate solution involves upgrading to a patched version of the Multi-Scheduler plugin, as the vulnerability cannot be adequately addressed through configuration changes alone. Additionally, security teams should conduct thorough assessments of other installed plugins to identify similar CSRF vulnerabilities, as this represents a common weakness in WordPress plugin architectures that could expose organizations to broader attack surfaces.