CVE-2022-1801 in Very Simple Contact Form Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 06/20/2022
The Very Simple Contact Form WordPress plugin before 11.6 exposes the solution to the captcha in the rendered contact form, both as hidden input fields and as plain text in the page, making it very easy for bots to bypass the captcha check, rendering the page a likely target for spam bots.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/20/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-1801 affects the Very Simple Contact Form WordPress plugin version 11.5 and earlier, representing a critical security flaw that undermines the plugin's anti-spam protection mechanisms. This issue stems from improper handling of CAPTCHA validation elements within the plugin's front-end implementation, creating a significant vector for automated spam attacks against WordPress websites. The vulnerability directly impacts the plugin's core functionality by exposing sensitive CAPTCHA solution data in multiple formats simultaneously, thereby eliminating the intended security barrier against malicious automation.
The technical flaw manifests through the plugin's rendering process where the CAPTCHA solution is simultaneously present in two distinct forms within the HTML output. Specifically, the solution appears as hidden input fields that browsers can access through source code inspection, while concurrently displaying the same information as plain text within the page content itself. This dual exposure creates an exploitable condition where automated bots can easily extract the required CAPTCHA answer without performing any actual validation, effectively neutralizing the security mechanism. The vulnerability maps directly to CWE-200, which addresses the exposure of sensitive information, and CWE-312, concerning the exposure of sensitive data through improper handling of authentication tokens.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability transforms affected websites into high-value targets for spam bot networks and automated attack systems that specifically target WordPress installations. The ease of exploitation means that even basic bot networks can bypass the CAPTCHA protection without requiring sophisticated reverse engineering or advanced exploitation techniques. The impact extends beyond simple spam generation to potentially enable more severe attacks including credential stuffing, comment spam, and other forms of automated abuse that can overwhelm website resources and compromise user experience. Security researchers have noted that this vulnerability creates a persistent threat vector that can remain active for extended periods if not properly addressed, as the exposed CAPTCHA solutions provide attackers with a reliable method to bypass security controls.
The mitigation strategy for CVE-2022-1801 requires immediate action to upgrade the Very Simple Contact Form plugin to version 11.6 or later, which contains the necessary fixes to properly handle CAPTCHA solution data. Additionally, administrators should conduct comprehensive security audits of their WordPress installations to identify any other plugins or themes that may exhibit similar vulnerabilities in their handling of authentication or validation mechanisms. The remediation process should also include monitoring of website traffic for unusual patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts and implementing additional security layers such as rate limiting or more robust CAPTCHA solutions. Organizations should consider implementing the principle of least privilege for form submission endpoints and ensure that all CAPTCHA implementations follow industry standards such as those recommended by the OWASP Project and NIST guidelines for web application security.