CVE-2022-47166 in Void Contact Form 7 Widget for Elementor Page Builder Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 03/13/2023
Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in voidCoders Void Contact Form 7 Widget For Elementor Page Builder plugin
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/16/2023
The CVE-2022-47166 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw discovered in the voidCoders Void Contact Form 7 Widget For Elementor Page Builder WordPress plugin. This vulnerability resides within a widely used plugin that integrates contact form functionality directly into the Elementor page builder interface, making it a significant concern for WordPress site administrators who rely on this popular web development tool. The flaw allows malicious actors to exploit the plugin's lack of proper CSRF protection mechanisms, potentially enabling unauthorized actions to be performed on behalf of authenticated users. The vulnerability specifically affects versions of the plugin prior to the security patch released in 2022, leaving numerous websites exposed to potential exploitation. Given that Elementor is one of the most popular page builders for WordPress, with over 5 million active installations, the impact of this vulnerability extends across a substantial portion of the WordPress ecosystem.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from the plugin's failure to validate the origin of HTTP requests submitted through the contact form widget functionality. When users interact with the contact form embedded within Elementor pages, the plugin processes form submissions without implementing proper anti-CSRF token validation or referer header checks. This omission creates a fundamental security gap that allows attackers to craft malicious requests that appear to originate from legitimate users. The vulnerability manifests when an authenticated user visits a malicious website or clicks on a crafted link that triggers a forged request to the target WordPress site. The attack vector exploits the trust relationship between the user's browser and the WordPress installation, leveraging the user's existing authentication session to execute unauthorized actions. According to CWE-352, this vulnerability maps directly to Cross-Site Request Forgery, which is classified as a critical weakness in web application security where the application fails to verify that requests originate from the intended source.
The operational impact of CVE-2022-47166 extends beyond simple data exposure, as it creates opportunities for various malicious activities including unauthorized form submissions, potential data manipulation, and in some cases, privilege escalation within the affected WordPress environment. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability to submit spam or malicious content through contact forms, potentially leading to reputation damage and spam filtering issues. The vulnerability also presents risks for data integrity as unauthorized modifications to form configurations or submission processing could occur. In environments where the contact form widget is integrated with additional functionality such as email notifications or database storage, the attack surface expands significantly. The risk is particularly elevated for websites that rely on contact forms for critical business processes, customer support, or lead generation, where unauthorized submissions could result in operational disruption or financial loss. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 which covers phishing with malicious attachments, as attackers can leverage the compromised contact form functionality to deliver additional malicious payloads or redirect users to harmful content.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2022-47166 primarily focus on immediate plugin updates and implementation of additional security controls. WordPress administrators should immediately update the voidCoders Void Contact Form 7 Widget plugin to the latest version that contains the CSRF protection patches. Beyond patching, implementing additional security measures such as Content Security Policy headers, proper input validation, and rate limiting on form submissions can provide layered defense against exploitation attempts. Network-level protections including web application firewalls and monitoring for suspicious form submission patterns can help detect and prevent exploitation attempts. Organizations should also conduct thorough security audits of their WordPress installations to identify other potentially vulnerable plugins or themes that may share similar CSRF vulnerabilities. Regular security scanning and monitoring of plugin repositories for security advisories can help maintain proactive defense against similar vulnerabilities. The vulnerability underscores the importance of proper security testing during plugin development and the necessity of implementing robust CSRF protection mechanisms as fundamental security controls in web applications. Given that many WordPress sites rely on third-party plugins for core functionality, this vulnerability highlights the critical need for ongoing security assessment and patch management practices across the entire WordPress ecosystem.