CVE-2022-2267 in Mailchimp for WooCommerce Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 08/29/2022
The Mailchimp for WooCommerce WordPress plugin before 2.7.1 has an AJAX action that allows any logged in users (such as subscriber) to perform a POST request on behalf of the server to the internal network/LAN, the body of the request is also appended to the response so it can be used to scan private network for example
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/30/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-2267 affects the Mailchimp for WooCommerce WordPress plugin version 2.7.1 and earlier, presenting a significant security risk through improper access controls and insecure direct object references. This flaw exists within the plugin's AJAX handling mechanism, which fails to properly validate user permissions before executing privileged operations. The vulnerability specifically targets the plugin's ability to make HTTP requests from the server to internal network resources without adequate authorization checks, creating an avenue for unauthorized network reconnaissance and potential exploitation.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the plugin's failure to enforce proper authentication and authorization controls on its AJAX endpoints. When logged-in users, including low-privilege accounts such as subscribers, access specific plugin functionality, the system allows them to initiate POST requests to internal network addresses through the server's outbound connections. This represents a classic case of insufficient access control as defined by CWE-285, where the application fails to properly verify that the requesting user has adequate permissions for the requested operation. The vulnerability's design flaw permits any authenticated user to leverage the server's network access capabilities to probe internal systems, effectively turning the WordPress installation into a potential reconnaissance tool for network scanning activities.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it enables attackers to perform internal network scanning and enumeration without requiring direct access to the internal network. The malicious user can construct requests that target internal services and systems, with the responses being returned directly within the plugin's output, allowing for automated scanning of internal network components. This capability significantly increases the attack surface and provides an effective method for attackers to discover internal services, identify running applications, and potentially find additional vulnerabilities within the internal network infrastructure. The vulnerability's exploitation aligns with ATT&CK technique T1018, which covers system network discovery, and T1046, which covers network service scanning, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where internal network segmentation is expected but may be bypassed through this mechanism.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately update to version 2.7.1 or later of the Mailchimp for WooCommerce plugin, which includes proper access control measures and request validation. System administrators should also implement network-level restrictions to prevent outbound connections from web servers to internal network addresses, particularly those that are not explicitly required for legitimate business operations. The remediation process should include reviewing all plugin configurations and ensuring that only authorized users have access to administrative functions that could potentially leverage server-side network capabilities. Additionally, network monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual outbound traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, and security teams should implement proper network segmentation to limit the potential damage from any successful exploitation attempts. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of validating user permissions and implementing proper access controls for all server-side operations, particularly those that involve network communication or system-level functions.