CVE-2022-1790 in New User Email Set Up Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 06/13/2022
The New User Email Set Up WordPress plugin through 0.5.2 does not have CSRF check in place when updating its settings, which could allow attackers to make a logged in admin change them via a CSRF attack
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/13/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-1790 affects the New User Email Set Up WordPress plugin version 0.5.2 and earlier, representing a critical security flaw that undermines the integrity of administrative configurations within WordPress environments. This issue stems from the absence of Cross-Site Request Forgery protection mechanisms within the plugin's settings update functionality, creating a significant attack vector for malicious actors who can manipulate administrative workflows without proper authorization.
The technical flaw manifests as a missing CSRF token validation during the plugin's configuration update process, which operates under the assumption that all requests originating from the WordPress admin interface are legitimate. This oversight allows attackers to craft malicious web pages or email content that, when visited by an authenticated administrator, automatically submits requests to modify the plugin's settings. The vulnerability specifically targets the administrative interface where settings are saved, making it particularly dangerous as it operates within the trusted administrative context of the WordPress installation.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability enables attackers to perform unauthorized modifications to the plugin's configuration, potentially leading to account compromise, data exposure, or service disruption within the WordPress environment. The attack requires only that an administrator visits a malicious page while logged into the WordPress admin panel, making it particularly insidious as it leverages the existing administrative session without requiring additional authentication credentials. This scenario creates a pathway for attackers to manipulate email notification settings, potentially redirecting user registration emails or disabling critical notification mechanisms that protect against unauthorized access attempts.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery issues in web applications, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1078.004, which covers valid accounts for privilege escalation and persistence. The absence of CSRF protection in the plugin's administrative interface creates a direct pathway for attackers to leverage legitimate administrative sessions for unauthorized configuration changes, potentially leading to further compromise of the WordPress installation. Organizations using this plugin are particularly vulnerable as the attack does not require complex exploitation techniques or privileged access, making it accessible to threat actors with basic web application attack knowledge.
Mitigation strategies should prioritize immediate plugin updates to versions that implement proper CSRF token validation, which is the primary defense against this specific vulnerability. Administrators should also implement additional security measures including regular security audits of installed plugins, monitoring for unauthorized configuration changes, and ensuring that all administrative sessions are properly secured through session management best practices. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls and content security policies can provide additional layers of defense, while regular security training for administrators helps reduce the risk of social engineering attacks that might exploit this vulnerability. The fundamental requirement for all WordPress plugins to implement CSRF protection mechanisms underscores the importance of maintaining secure coding practices throughout the WordPress ecosystem, particularly within administrative interfaces where configuration changes can have significant operational impacts.