CVE-2022-29495 in Sygnoos Popup Builder Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 07/22/2022
Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in Sygnoos Popup Builder plugin <= 4.1.11 at WordPress allows an attacker to update plugin settings.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/20/2022
The CVE-2022-29495 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within the Sygnoos Popup Builder WordPress plugin version 4.1.11 and earlier. This vulnerability resides in the plugin's administrative interface where it fails to properly validate and authenticate requests originating from legitimate administrators versus malicious actors. The flaw allows an attacker to manipulate the plugin's configuration settings through crafted requests that appear to come from authenticated users, effectively bypassing the standard security controls that should protect administrative functions. The vulnerability specifically impacts the plugin's ability to verify the authenticity of requests made to its settings update endpoints, creating a pathway for unauthorized modifications to popup configurations and potentially broader system compromise.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from the absence of proper anti-forgery tokens or similar validation mechanisms within the plugin's administrative forms and API endpoints. When administrators interact with the plugin's settings interface, the system should verify that requests originate from legitimate sources through unique tokens or other authentication methods that cannot be easily replicated by attackers. Without these protective measures, an attacker can craft malicious web pages or emails containing embedded requests that, when executed by an authenticated administrator, will modify the plugin's configuration. This flaw operates at the application layer and specifically targets the plugin's administrative functionality, making it particularly dangerous in environments where administrators have elevated privileges.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple configuration changes, as it can enable attackers to manipulate popup behaviors that might affect user experience, data collection, or even serve as a vector for more sophisticated attacks. Attackers could potentially configure popups to redirect users to malicious sites, collect sensitive information through crafted forms, or disable security features within the plugin. The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal technical expertise and can be accomplished through social engineering techniques, making it particularly dangerous in environments where administrators might be tricked into visiting malicious websites or opening compromised emails. This threat landscape is further exacerbated by the fact that many WordPress installations may not have comprehensive monitoring in place for plugin-level activities, allowing the malicious changes to go undetected for extended periods.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability should prioritize immediate plugin updates to versions that address the CSRF implementation flaws, with the vendor releasing patches that implement proper anti-forgery token validation. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security measures such as web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious request patterns, network monitoring for unusual administrative activity, and regular security audits of installed plugins. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses cross-site request forgery weaknesses, and represents a clear violation of the principle of least privilege by allowing unauthorized modifications to administrative settings. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving privilege escalation and persistence through web application manipulation, potentially enabling attackers to establish long-term access or cause significant disruption to user experience and data integrity within the affected WordPress installations.