CVE-2022-3489 in WP Hide Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 11/07/2022
The WP Hide WordPress plugin through 0.0.2 does not have authorisation and CSRF checks in place when updating the custom_wpadmin_slug settings, allowing unauthenticated attackers to update it with a crafted request
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/02/2025
The WP Hide WordPress plugin version 0.0.2 contains a critical security vulnerability that stems from insufficient authorization and cross-site request forgery protection mechanisms. This flaw exists within the plugin's handling of the custom_wpadmin_slug settings configuration, where the application fails to verify whether incoming requests originate from authenticated administrators or if they represent legitimate user actions. The vulnerability creates a pathway for unauthenticated attackers to manipulate the plugin's administrative settings without proper credentials or validation.
This security weakness represents a direct violation of fundamental web application security principles and aligns with CWE-352, which catalogs cross-site request forgery vulnerabilities. The absence of proper authorization checks means that any attacker who can access the vulnerable WordPress installation can potentially modify critical administrative settings. The CSRF protection mechanism is completely absent, leaving the application vulnerable to attacks where malicious actors can craft specially formatted requests that appear to originate from legitimate administrative users.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple configuration changes, as the custom_wpadmin_slug setting typically controls the administrative interface URL of the WordPress installation. When an attacker successfully modifies this setting, they can potentially redirect administrators to malicious pages or completely compromise the administrative access control. This vulnerability allows attackers to manipulate the WordPress administrative interface in ways that could lead to full system compromise, data exfiltration, or the installation of malicious plugins and themes.
From an attacker's perspective, this vulnerability provides a straightforward path to administrative access without requiring prior authentication or credentials. The flaw enables attackers to perform privilege escalation by modifying the administrative slug, which could then be used to gain unauthorized access to the WordPress dashboard. This vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers legitimate credentials usage and T1548.001 which covers abuse of sudo privileges, as the attacker essentially gains administrative capabilities through improper configuration management.
The recommended mitigations for this vulnerability include immediate patching of the WP Hide plugin to version 0.0.3 or later, which should contain proper authorization and CSRF protection mechanisms. Organizations should also implement additional security measures such as network segmentation to limit access to administrative interfaces, regular security audits of installed plugins, and monitoring for unauthorized configuration changes. Furthermore, implementing web application firewalls and enforcing strict access controls can help detect and prevent exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation and authentication mechanisms in WordPress plugins, particularly those that modify core administrative settings.