CVE-2022-1625 in New User Approve Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 06/27/2022
The New User Approve WordPress plugin before 2.4 does not have CSRF check in place when updating its settings and adding invitation codes, which could allow attackers to add invitation codes (for bypassing the provided restrictions) and to change plugin settings by tricking admin users into visiting specially crafted websites.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/15/2022
The CVE-2022-1625 vulnerability affects the New User Approve WordPress plugin version 2.3 and earlier, representing a critical security flaw that undermines the plugin's integrity and user access controls. This vulnerability stems from the absence of Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) protection mechanisms within the plugin's administrative interfaces. The flaw specifically impacts two critical functionalities: the modification of plugin settings and the addition of invitation codes that bypass user approval restrictions. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious websites that automatically submit requests to the vulnerable plugin's administrative endpoints without user consent or awareness.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the plugin's failure to validate the origin of administrative requests through proper CSRF token mechanisms. When administrators visit compromised websites, their browsers automatically submit requests to the vulnerable plugin's settings update and invitation code addition endpoints. This occurs because the plugin does not implement the required anti-CSRF measures such as nonce validation or referer header checks that are standard security practices for WordPress plugin development. The vulnerability allows attackers to manipulate the plugin's behavior by adding invitation codes that circumvent user approval workflows, effectively granting unauthorized access to restricted areas of the WordPress installation.
The operational impact of CVE-2022-1625 extends beyond simple privilege escalation to encompass potential full system compromise through unauthorized user registration and access control bypass. Attackers can add invitation codes that allow arbitrary users to bypass the standard approval process, potentially enabling unauthorized registration of accounts with elevated privileges. This vulnerability directly violates the principle of least privilege and can lead to unauthorized access to restricted content, modification of user permissions, and potential data breaches. The attack vector leverages social engineering techniques where administrators are tricked into visiting malicious websites, making it particularly dangerous as it requires no direct authentication or exploitation of other system vulnerabilities.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately upgrade to plugin version 2.4 or later, which implements proper CSRF protection mechanisms. The recommended mitigation strategy includes implementing proper nonce validation for all administrative actions and ensuring that all plugin endpoints verify the authenticity of requests through appropriate security tokens. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses in software applications. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving privilege escalation through manipulation of application settings and credential exposure through social engineering attacks. Security practitioners should also implement network monitoring to detect unusual administrative activity patterns and ensure that all WordPress plugins maintain current security standards through regular updates and security audits.