CVE-2022-36346 in MaxButtons Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 08/22/2022
Multiple Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerabilities in Max Foundry MaxButtons plugin <= 9.2 at WordPress.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/24/2022
The CVE-2022-36346 vulnerability represents a critical security flaw in the Max Foundry MaxButtons WordPress plugin affecting versions 9.2 and earlier. This vulnerability manifests as multiple cross-site request forgery flaws that could enable attackers to perform unauthorized actions on behalf of authenticated users within the WordPress administration interface. The vulnerability specifically impacts the plugin's handling of user requests and lacks proper validation mechanisms to ensure that requests originate from legitimate sources within the intended application context.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from insufficient verification of request sources and lack of proper anti-CSRF token implementation within the plugin's administrative functions. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious requests that appear to originate from legitimate administrative users, potentially allowing unauthorized modifications to plugin settings, creation of malicious buttons, or modification of existing button configurations. The vulnerability resides in the plugin's core functionality where administrative actions are processed without adequate confirmation that the request was genuinely initiated by an authenticated user through the proper interface.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation as it creates a persistent threat vector within WordPress environments that rely on the MaxButtons plugin. An attacker who successfully exploits this CSRF vulnerability could manipulate the button configurations to redirect users to malicious websites, inject harmful scripts, or alter the plugin's behavior in ways that compromise the overall security posture of the WordPress installation. The vulnerability particularly affects sites where administrators frequently access the plugin's administrative interface, as the attack surface increases with user activity and session longevity.
Security practitioners should implement immediate mitigations including updating to the patched version of the MaxButtons plugin, which addresses the CSRF token implementation and request validation mechanisms. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security layers such as web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious request patterns, and conduct thorough security audits of all installed WordPress plugins to identify similar vulnerabilities. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-352 which specifically addresses cross-site request forgery weaknesses in web applications. From an ATT&CK perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1548.003 which covers abuse of remote services and T1078 which involves valid accounts and legitimate credentials.
The remediation strategy should include comprehensive patch management procedures to ensure all WordPress plugins are kept up to date with security fixes. Administrators should also implement proper input validation and output encoding practices, establish robust session management controls, and consider implementing Content Security Policy headers to limit the potential impact of successful CSRF attacks. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other plugins and themes that may present analogous security risks to the WordPress ecosystem.