CVE-2022-4533 in Limit Login Attempts Plus Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 09/19/2024
The Limit Login Attempts Plus plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to IP Address Spoofing in versions up to, and including, 1.1.0. This is due to insufficient restrictions on where the IP Address information is being retrieved for request logging and login restrictions. Attackers can supply the X-Forwarded-For header with with a different IP Address that will be logged and can be used to bypass settings that may have blocked out an IP address or country from logging in.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/26/2024
The Limit Login Attempts Plus plugin for WordPress presents a critical security vulnerability through its improper handling of IP address information, specifically affecting versions up to and including 1.1.0. This vulnerability stems from the plugin's failure to properly validate and sanitize the source of IP address data used for login attempt tracking and access control mechanisms. The flaw allows malicious actors to manipulate the system's perception of their network location by injecting false IP addresses through HTTP headers, creating a significant bypass opportunity for authentication restrictions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs through the exploitation of the X-Forwarded-For HTTP header, which is commonly used by web applications to identify the original IP address of a client connecting through a proxy or load balancer. The plugin's insecure code retrieves IP address information without proper validation, accepting the first IP address found in the X-Forwarded-For header without verifying its legitimacy or origin. This design flaw enables attackers to submit a spoofed IP address that gets logged instead of their actual IP address, effectively circumventing any IP-based restrictions or blacklists that have been configured to block malicious access attempts.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates a dangerous attack surface that can be exploited by threat actors to bypass authentication controls and gain unauthorized access to WordPress sites. The impact extends beyond simple credential theft as attackers can systematically work around IP-based restrictions that administrators have implemented to protect their systems. This vulnerability directly violates security principles outlined in the OWASP Top Ten, specifically addressing the issue of broken authentication and insufficient logging and monitoring capabilities. The flaw also aligns with CWE-284 (Improper Access Control) and CWE-352 (Cross-Site Request Forgery) categories, as it enables unauthorized access through manipulated request headers.
The attack vector operates through simple header manipulation where an attacker can include a spoofed IP address in the X-Forwarded-For header during login attempts, causing the plugin to log the false address instead of the real one. This allows malicious users to repeatedly attempt logins from different IP addresses while remaining undetected by IP-based blocking mechanisms. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects the core security functionality of the plugin, undermining the very purpose of implementing login attempt restrictions. Organizations using this plugin face significant risk of credential stuffing attacks, brute force attempts, and other automated login attacks that can bypass the intended protection mechanisms.
Mitigation strategies should prioritize immediate plugin updates to versions that address this IP spoofing vulnerability, as well as implementing additional security layers such as multi-factor authentication and more robust IP validation mechanisms. Network administrators should also consider implementing proper header validation at the web server level to prevent spoofed headers from reaching the application layer. The remediation approach should include reviewing all IP-based access control rules and ensuring that multiple validation points are implemented to verify the authenticity of IP address information. Additionally, organizations should enhance their monitoring capabilities to detect unusual login patterns that may indicate header manipulation attempts, as this vulnerability can be exploited in conjunction with other attack methods to systematically bypass security controls.