CVE-2023-0552 in Registration Forms Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 02/27/2023
The Registration Forms WordPress plugin before 3.8.2.3 does not properly validate the redirection URL when logging in and login out, leading to an Open Redirect vulnerability
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/25/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-0552 affects the Registration Forms WordPress plugin version 3.8.2.2 and earlier, presenting an open redirect vulnerability that stems from inadequate validation of redirection URLs during authentication processes. This flaw allows attackers to manipulate the redirection behavior when users log in or log out of the WordPress site, potentially leading to malicious redirection attempts that could compromise user security and trust. The issue specifically manifests within the plugin's handling of authentication redirects, where proper input sanitization and validation mechanisms are absent or insufficient.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability resides in the plugin's authentication flow where it accepts redirect parameters without proper validation or sanitization. When users attempt to log in or log out, the plugin processes redirect URLs that are passed through the authentication parameters, but fails to verify that these URLs originate from trusted sources or adhere to expected formats. This lack of validation creates an opportunity for attackers to craft malicious URLs that could redirect users to phishing sites, malicious domains, or other harmful destinations. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-601 as an open redirect vulnerability, which represents a well-documented security weakness where applications fail to properly validate redirect destinations.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to both end users and system administrators. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting specially formatted URLs that contain malicious redirect parameters, potentially leading to credential theft through phishing attacks or other malicious activities. Users who click on compromised links may be redirected to attacker-controlled domains that mimic legitimate authentication pages, creating an environment conducive to social engineering attacks. The impact extends beyond immediate user compromise to potential reputational damage and regulatory compliance issues for organizations running affected WordPress installations. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 which covers phishing with malicious links, and T1071.004 which involves application layer protocol usage for command and control communications.
The mitigation strategy for CVE-2023-0552 requires immediate patching of the Registration Forms plugin to version 3.8.2.3 or later, which contains the necessary validation fixes. System administrators should also implement additional security measures such as monitoring for suspicious redirect patterns in web server logs and implementing network-level controls to prevent access to known malicious domains. Organizations should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify any other instances of similar validation flaws within their WordPress installations and consider implementing web application firewalls that can detect and block malicious redirect attempts. The fix implemented in the patched version addresses the core validation issue by ensuring that all redirect URLs are properly sanitized and validated before being processed, preventing attackers from injecting malicious destinations into the authentication flow. This vulnerability highlights the critical importance of input validation in web applications and demonstrates how seemingly simple authentication flows can become attack vectors when proper security controls are not implemented.