CVE-2022-2108 in BuddyPress Group Reviews Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 07/18/2022
The plugin Wbcom Designs – BuddyPress Group Reviews for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized settings changes and review modification due to missing capability checks and improper nonce checks in several functions related to said actions in versions up to, and including, 2.8.3. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to modify reviews and plugin settings on the affected site.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/08/2026
The vulnerability identified in CVE-2022-2108 affects the Wbcom Designs – BuddyPress Group Reviews plugin for WordPress, specifically targeting versions up to and including 2.8.3. This security flaw represents a critical access control weakness that undermines the integrity and confidentiality of user-generated content within WordPress environments. The vulnerability stems from insufficient validation mechanisms that should normally prevent unauthorized modifications to plugin settings and user reviews. The affected plugin operates within the BuddyPress ecosystem, which is designed to facilitate social networking features and community engagement within WordPress sites, making the impact of this vulnerability particularly concerning for organizations relying on these collaborative platforms.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability manifests through the absence of proper capability checks and inadequate nonce validation within multiple administrative functions of the plugin. Capability checks are essential security controls that verify whether a user possesses sufficient privileges to perform specific actions within a WordPress environment, typically requiring users to be logged in and have appropriate roles such as administrator or editor. Nonce checks serve as anti-CSRF protection mechanisms that ensure requests originate from legitimate sources within the WordPress admin interface. The failure to implement these security measures creates a pathway for attackers to manipulate plugin configurations and modify user reviews without proper authentication, effectively bypassing the intended access controls that protect sensitive data and system integrity.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data modification, creating potential risks for data integrity, user privacy, and system availability. Unauthenticated attackers can exploit this flaw to inject malicious reviews, alter plugin settings that may affect site functionality, or potentially disrupt the collaborative features that depend on the plugin's proper operation. This vulnerability particularly affects WordPress sites that rely on BuddyPress group reviews for community engagement, potentially allowing malicious actors to manipulate group discussions, influence user opinions through false reviews, or compromise the trustworthiness of the platform's social features. The lack of authentication requirements means that any visitor to the site can potentially exploit these functions, making the attack surface extremely broad and accessible to threat actors with minimal technical expertise.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability should prioritize immediate patching of the affected plugin to versions that implement proper capability checks and nonce validation. WordPress administrators should also implement additional protective measures including regular security audits, monitoring of plugin activity logs, and enforcement of strong access controls within their WordPress installations. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which describes improper access control, and can be categorized under ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and T1566 for credential harvesting, as attackers may attempt to exploit this weakness to gain further access to the system. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and intrusion detection systems to monitor for exploitation attempts, while ensuring that all WordPress plugins are regularly updated and maintained through official channels to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in other components of their web infrastructure.