CVE-2022-4309 in Subscribe2 Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 01/16/2023
The Subscribe2 WordPress plugin before 10.38 does not have CSRF check when deleting users, which could allow attackers to make a logged in admin delete arbitrary users by knowing their email via a CSRF attack.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/07/2025
The Subscribe2 WordPress plugin vulnerability CVE-2022-4309 represents a critical security flaw that undermines the integrity of user management operations within WordPress environments. This vulnerability specifically affects versions prior to 10.38 and exposes a fundamental weakness in the plugin's cross-site request forgery protection mechanisms. The flaw allows authenticated attackers with administrative privileges to manipulate the plugin's user deletion functionality through malicious cross-site requests, potentially enabling unauthorized user removal from the system. The vulnerability stems from the absence of proper CSRF tokens during the user deletion process, creating an exploitable condition that bypasses normal authentication and authorization checks.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the manipulation of HTTP requests that target the plugin's user deletion endpoint. When an administrator performs actions within the WordPress admin interface, the plugin should verify that the request originates from a legitimate administrative session through CSRF token validation. However, in affected versions, this validation mechanism fails to properly authenticate the source of deletion requests. Attackers can construct malicious web pages or emails containing embedded requests that, when triggered by an authenticated admin user, execute user deletion commands without proper verification. This creates a scenario where an attacker can leverage a victim's administrative session to perform unauthorized actions, effectively enabling privilege escalation through social engineering or phishing techniques.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple user account removal, as it represents a significant threat to system integrity and user management security. Administrators may unknowingly delete legitimate users from the system, potentially disrupting business operations and compromising user access to critical services. The vulnerability particularly affects environments where multiple administrators exist, as any authenticated admin session could be exploited to target other users. This creates a cascading effect where unauthorized deletion of users can lead to data loss, service disruption, and potential compliance violations in regulated environments. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it requires minimal technical expertise to exploit, making it accessible to threat actors with basic knowledge of web application security concepts.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability should focus on immediate plugin updates to version 10.38 or later, which implements proper CSRF protection mechanisms. Organizations should also implement additional monitoring and logging of user deletion activities to detect unauthorized operations. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which catalogs cross-site request forgery weaknesses, and corresponds to ATT&CK technique T1078.004 for valid accounts, as it exploits legitimate administrative sessions to perform unauthorized actions. Network segmentation and privileged access controls should be implemented to limit the scope of potential damage, while regular security audits should verify that all WordPress plugins maintain current security standards. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious deletion requests, and establish incident response procedures specifically addressing unauthorized user removal scenarios. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security controls and the potential consequences of inadequate CSRF protection in web applications.