CVE-2022-0141 in Visual Form Builder Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 04/12/2022
The Visual Form Builder WordPress plugin before 3.0.8 does not enforce nonce checks which could allow attackers to make a logged in admin or editor delete and restore arbitrary form entries via CSRF attacks
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/17/2022
The Visual Form Builder WordPress plugin vulnerability CVE-2022-0141 represents a critical security flaw that undermines the integrity of form management operations within WordPress environments. This vulnerability specifically affects versions prior to 3.0.8 and stems from the absence of proper nonce validation mechanisms. Nonce checks serve as critical security measures that ensure requests originate from legitimate administrative actions rather than malicious cross-site requests. The flaw allows attackers to exploit the lack of these protective measures to manipulate form entries through CSRF (Cross-Site Request Forgery) attacks.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability lies in the plugin's failure to validate nonce tokens during critical administrative operations. When administrators or editors perform actions such as deleting or restoring form entries, the plugin should verify that these requests contain valid nonce values that tie them to the authenticated user session. Without this validation, attackers can craft malicious requests that appear to originate from legitimate administrative users. The vulnerability specifically targets the delete and restore functionality of form entries, which are core administrative operations that should only be executable by authorized personnel.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to WordPress site administrators and content managers who rely on the Visual Form Builder plugin for form management. Attackers with access to a compromised admin session or those able to trick users into executing malicious requests can potentially delete critical form data, leading to data loss and operational disruption. The impact extends beyond simple data deletion as the ability to restore entries provides attackers with additional attack surface manipulation capabilities. This vulnerability particularly affects sites where form submissions contain sensitive user information, making it attractive to threat actors seeking to disrupt services or access confidential data.
The security implications of CVE-2022-0141 align with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery vulnerabilities in software systems. This classification emphasizes the fundamental flaw in the plugin's design where it fails to implement proper request validation mechanisms that should prevent unauthorized operations. The vulnerability also maps to ATT&CK technique T1213.002 which covers data from information repositories, as attackers can leverage this flaw to access and manipulate stored form data. Organizations using this plugin should prioritize immediate remediation through version updates to 3.0.8 or later, as this represents the most direct and effective mitigation strategy.
Mitigation efforts should include immediate deployment of the patched plugin version, which implements proper nonce validation for all administrative form operations. Additionally, administrators should review their plugin update processes to ensure timely patch deployment across all WordPress installations. Network monitoring should be enhanced to detect suspicious administrative activities that might indicate exploitation attempts. Security teams should also consider implementing additional controls such as two-factor authentication for administrative accounts and regular security audits of installed plugins to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of the WordPress ecosystem. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation and request verification mechanisms in web applications, particularly those handling sensitive user data through form submission systems.