CVE-2022-4549 in Tickera Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 01/16/2023
The Tickera WordPress plugin before 3.5.1.0 does not have CSRF check in place when updating its settings, which could allow attackers to make a logged-in admin change them via a CSRF attack.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/04/2025
The Tickera WordPress plugin vulnerability CVE-2022-4549 represents a critical security flaw that undermines the integrity of administrative configurations within WordPress environments. This vulnerability specifically affects versions prior to 3.5.1.0 and stems from the absence of Cross-Site Request Forgery protection mechanisms during the plugin's settings update process. The flaw allows malicious actors to exploit the lack of validation checks to manipulate administrative settings without proper authorization, potentially compromising the entire WordPress installation's security posture.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability resides in the plugin's failure to implement proper CSRF token validation when processing administrative requests. According to CWE-352, this represents a classic Cross-Site Request Forgery vulnerability where the application does not sufficiently verify that requests originate from authenticated administrative sessions. The flaw operates by tricking logged-in administrators into executing unintended actions through crafted malicious links or embedded content, leveraging the administrator's existing authenticated session to perform unauthorized modifications to the plugin's configuration parameters.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple configuration changes, as it provides attackers with potential entry points for broader system compromise. When an administrator visits a malicious website or clicks on compromised content, the CSRF attack can silently modify critical plugin settings, potentially disabling security features, altering access controls, or redirecting traffic to malicious endpoints. This vulnerability directly aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078.004 which describes valid accounts being used to perform actions that may be undetected by security controls, as the attack leverages legitimate administrative sessions.
Security professionals should recognize that this vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of implementing proper input validation and session management controls in web applications. The absence of CSRF protection in administrative interfaces represents a fundamental security oversight that can be exploited to undermine the integrity of WordPress installations. Organizations running affected versions of the Tickera plugin should immediately implement patch management procedures to upgrade to version 3.5.1.0 or later, while also conducting thorough security audits of their WordPress environments to identify any other plugins or themes that may be similarly vulnerable to CSRF attacks. Additionally, implementing additional security measures such as web application firewalls and monitoring for unauthorized configuration changes can provide defense-in-depth protection against exploitation attempts.