CVE-2022-47609 in Nicearma DNUI Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 05/22/2023
Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in Nicearma DNUI plugin <= 2.8.1 versions.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/15/2023
The CVE-2022-47609 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw discovered in the Nicearma DNUI plugin for WordPress systems. This vulnerability affects versions 2.8.1 and earlier, creating a significant security risk for WordPress websites that utilize this plugin. The issue stems from the plugin's inadequate protection mechanisms against malicious cross-site requests that could be exploited by attackers to perform unauthorized actions on behalf of authenticated users. The vulnerability specifically impacts the plugin's handling of user sessions and request validation, allowing attackers to manipulate the application's behavior through crafted requests that appear legitimate to the WordPress system.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability involves the absence of proper anti-CSRF tokens or validation mechanisms within the plugin's administrative interfaces. When users access the plugin's settings or perform administrative actions, the system fails to validate that requests originate from legitimate sources within the same session context. This weakness allows attackers to construct malicious requests that leverage the authenticated user's session cookies and permissions. The flaw operates at the application layer where user interactions with the plugin's web forms and API endpoints do not adequately verify the authenticity of incoming requests, making it particularly dangerous in environments where administrators frequently access the plugin's interface.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data manipulation, potentially allowing attackers to execute arbitrary administrative functions within the WordPress environment. An attacker could leverage this vulnerability to modify plugin settings, add or remove users, alter content, or even install malicious code through the compromised plugin interface. The risk is amplified when the affected WordPress site has administrators with elevated privileges, as the attacker could gain complete control over the plugin's functionality and potentially the entire website. This vulnerability also poses risks to user data integrity and could facilitate more sophisticated attacks such as privilege escalation or data exfiltration.
Security practitioners should consider this vulnerability in the context of the CWE-352 classification which specifically addresses cross-site request forgery weaknesses in web applications. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a technique under the T1566 category, specifically targeting credential access through web application attacks. Mitigation strategies should include immediate patching of the Nicearma DNUI plugin to versions that implement proper CSRF protection mechanisms including the use of unique tokens for each user session, proper validation of request origins, and implementation of same-site cookies. Organizations should also implement additional security layers such as web application firewalls, regular security audits, and monitoring for suspicious administrative activities to detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input validation and session management in WordPress plugins, particularly those with administrative capabilities that could impact the entire site's security posture.