CVE-2022-4537 in Hide My WP Ghost Security Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 05/09/2023
The Hide My WP Ghost – Security Plugin plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to IP Address Spoofing in versions up to, and including, 5.0.18. 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 from logging in.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/09/2026
The Hide My WP Ghost security plugin for WordPress contains a critical ip address spoofing vulnerability that affects versions up to and including 5.0.18. This flaw resides in the plugin's handling of ip address information for request logging and login restriction mechanisms. The vulnerability stems from inadequate validation and sanitization of http headers, particularly the x-forwarded-for header which is commonly used by web servers and proxies to identify the original ip address of a client. When attackers exploit this weakness, they can manipulate the ip address that gets recorded in the plugin's logging system by injecting a forged ip address into the x-forwarded-for header. This manipulation allows malicious actors to bypass ip-based access controls that are designed to block specific ip addresses from logging into the wordpress administration interface. The vulnerability represents a significant security weakness that directly undermines the intended protection mechanisms of the plugin.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs at the application level where the plugin indiscriminately trusts the x-forwarded-for header without proper validation or verification of its authenticity. This behavior creates a path for privilege escalation and unauthorized access attempts since the plugin's ip restriction features become ineffective when attackers can supply false ip addresses through manipulated http headers. The flaw specifically affects the plugin's authentication and logging subsystems where ip address information is used to enforce access controls and maintain security audit trails. According to the common weakness enumeration framework, this vulnerability maps to cwe-284 access control flaws and cwe-20 improper input validation, both of which are classified as high-risk security issues. The attack vector follows the typical pattern described in the attack tree methodology where an attacker can manipulate http headers to bypass security controls that are supposed to protect against unauthorized access attempts.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple access control bypasses to potentially enable more sophisticated attack scenarios. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can repeatedly attempt to log into the wordpress administration panel using a spoofed ip address, effectively circumventing ip-based blacklists that are typically configured to block known malicious ip addresses. This weakness particularly affects organizations that rely on ip address restrictions as part of their security strategy, as it renders these controls ineffective against attackers who understand how to manipulate http headers. The vulnerability also impacts the integrity of security audit logs since the recorded ip addresses become unreliable indicators of actual client locations. Organizations may incorrectly believe that ip-based restrictions are working properly when in reality attackers can bypass these controls through simple header manipulation, creating a false sense of security and potentially allowing persistent access to compromised systems.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing proper input validation and header sanitization within the plugin's codebase. Security administrators should immediately upgrade to version 5.0.19 or later where this vulnerability has been addressed through proper validation of ip address information. The recommended approach involves implementing strict validation of http headers and using server-side ip address determination methods that are less susceptible to manipulation. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security layers such as two-factor authentication, rate limiting, and more robust authentication mechanisms that do not rely solely on ip address restrictions. From an attack prevention perspective, this vulnerability aligns with the mitre attack framework's initial access and credential access phases where attackers attempt to bypass access controls. Network administrators should monitor for suspicious login attempts and implement comprehensive logging that can detect header manipulation attempts. The fix typically involves modifying the plugin's code to either ignore potentially manipulated headers or implement proper verification mechanisms that ensure the authenticity of ip address information before using it for access control decisions.