CVE-2023-0088 in Swifty Page Manager Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 01/05/2023
The Swifty Page Manager plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Cross-Site Request Forgery in versions up to, and including, 3.0.1. This is due to missing or incorrect nonce validation on several AJAX actions handling page creation and deletion among other things. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to invoke those functions, via forged request granted they can trick a site administrator into performing an action such as clicking on a link.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/09/2026
The Swifty Page Manager plugin for WordPress presents a critical cross-site request forgery vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-0088 affecting versions up to and including 3.0.1. This vulnerability stems from inadequate security controls within the plugin's ajax handling mechanisms, specifically failing to implement proper nonce validation for critical administrative functions. The flaw exists in the plugin's architecture where several ajax actions responsible for page creation and deletion operations lack sufficient authentication checks, creating an exploitable pathway for malicious actors to manipulate the WordPress environment without proper authorization.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a fundamental failure in the plugin's security design pattern, where nonce validation mechanisms that should protect against unauthorized administrative actions are either completely absent or improperly implemented. This represents a direct violation of security best practices outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses cross-site request forgery vulnerabilities in web applications. The vulnerability operates under the principle that an attacker can construct malicious requests that, when executed by an authenticated administrator, perform unauthorized operations within the WordPress environment.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data manipulation, as it enables attackers to potentially create malicious pages, delete existing content, or modify page structures in ways that could compromise the entire website's integrity and security posture. Attackers can leverage this weakness by crafting specially designed web pages or email attachments that contain embedded requests to the vulnerable plugin's ajax endpoints. When an administrator clicks on these malicious links or visits compromised web pages, the forged requests execute automatically, bypassing normal authentication mechanisms and allowing unauthorized administrative actions to be performed under the administrator's privileges.
This vulnerability particularly affects WordPress environments where administrators frequently interact with potentially malicious websites or where social engineering attacks are prevalent, as the attack vector requires only the administrator to perform a simple action such as clicking a link. The attack surface is further expanded by the fact that the vulnerability affects core administrative functions related to page management, which are fundamental to content management systems and often involve sensitive operations that could lead to complete site compromise. The lack of proper nonce validation creates a persistent risk that remains active until the plugin is updated to a secure version, making it a particularly dangerous vulnerability in environments where timely patch management may not be guaranteed.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including updating to the patched version of the Swifty Page Manager plugin, implementing additional security layers such as web application firewalls, and conducting comprehensive security audits of all installed WordPress plugins to identify similar vulnerabilities. The remediation approach should follow established security frameworks including the NIST Cybersecurity Framework and align with ATT&CK techniques related to privilege escalation and command and control operations. Additionally, administrators should consider implementing user behavior analytics and monitoring for unusual administrative activities that might indicate exploitation attempts.