CVE-2022-45803 in Form Builder Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 06/21/2024
Missing Authorization vulnerability in Nikolay Strikhar WordPress Form Builder Plugin – Gutenberg Forms.This issue affects WordPress Form Builder Plugin – Gutenberg Forms: from n/a through 2.2.8.3.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/25/2024
The vulnerability CVE-2022-45803 represents a critical missing authorization flaw within the WordPress Form Builder Plugin – Gutenberg Forms, specifically impacting versions ranging from an unspecified minimum to 2.2.8.3. This type of vulnerability falls under the broader category of insufficient authorization checks as defined by CWE-284, where the application fails to properly verify that authenticated users possess the necessary permissions to access specific resources or perform certain actions. The affected plugin operates within the WordPress ecosystem, which serves as a foundational platform for millions of websites worldwide, making the potential impact of such a vulnerability particularly severe given the widespread adoption of WordPress and its plugins.
The technical nature of this missing authorization vulnerability stems from the plugin's failure to implement proper access control mechanisms for its administrative functions. When users interact with the plugin's backend features, the system should verify that the requesting user has appropriate privileges before granting access to sensitive operations or data. However, in this case, the authorization checks are either completely absent or insufficiently implemented, allowing unauthorized users to potentially access restricted functionalities. This flaw typically manifests when the plugin does not properly validate user roles, capabilities, or session tokens before executing privileged operations, creating a pathway for attackers to exploit the system's trust model.
The operational impact of CVE-2022-45803 extends beyond simple data exposure, as it can enable attackers to manipulate form configurations, access sensitive form submissions, and potentially modify plugin settings that could compromise the entire website's integrity. This vulnerability directly aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078.004, which involves valid accounts used for lateral movement and privilege escalation. An attacker who gains access to a lower-privilege account could leverage this missing authorization check to escalate their privileges within the plugin's administrative interface. The consequences could include unauthorized modification of form data, exposure of sensitive user information collected through forms, and potential disruption of legitimate website functionality that depends on the plugin's proper operation.
Security practitioners should implement immediate mitigations including updating to the latest version of the Gutenberg Forms plugin where the vulnerability has been addressed, conducting thorough access control reviews of all installed plugins, and implementing network-level restrictions to limit access to administrative interfaces. Organizations should also consider implementing additional monitoring for unusual administrative activities and review their user permission models to ensure the principle of least privilege is maintained. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper authorization implementation in web applications, as highlighted by CWE-285 which emphasizes the necessity of ensuring that access control mechanisms are properly enforced. This issue also reinforces ATT&CK tactic TA0004 (Privilege Escalation) and TA0003 (Persistence) where unauthorized access to administrative interfaces can lead to long-term system compromise and persistent access to sensitive resources.