CVE-2023-0694 in Metform Elementor Contact Form Builder Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 06/09/2023
The Metform Elementor Contact Form Builder for WordPress is vulnerable to Information Disclosure via the 'mf' shortcode in versions up to, and including, 3.3.1. This allows authenticated attackers, with subscriber-level capabilities or above to obtain sensitive information about any standard form field of any form submission.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/07/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-0694 affects the Metform Elementor Contact Form Builder plugin for WordPress, representing a significant information disclosure flaw that undermines the security posture of affected websites. This vulnerability specifically resides within the 'mf' shortcode implementation and impacts all versions up to and including 3.3.1, making it a widespread concern for WordPress administrators who rely on this popular form building solution. The flaw enables authenticated attackers to access sensitive data from form submissions that they should not be authorized to view, creating a serious breach of data confidentiality principles that violates fundamental security controls.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient access controls and input validation within the plugin's shortcode processing mechanism. When an attacker with subscriber-level privileges or higher invokes the 'mf' shortcode, the system fails to properly authenticate and authorize the request against the specific form field data being accessed. This represents a classic privilege escalation issue where the attacker can bypass intended access restrictions and extract information from form submissions that contain sensitive user data. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and demonstrates poor input sanitization practices that allow unauthorized data retrieval through crafted shortcode parameters.
The operational impact of CVE-2023-0694 extends beyond simple data exposure to potentially compromise user privacy and organizational security. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability to harvest personal information, credentials, or other sensitive data submitted through contact forms, which may include names, email addresses, phone numbers, and custom form fields containing confidential information. This exposure creates a persistent threat vector that can be leveraged for further attacks including social engineering, credential stuffing, or identity theft. The vulnerability affects any website using the Metform plugin with subscriber-level or higher user accounts, making it particularly concerning for businesses that handle sensitive customer information through web forms.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should prioritize immediate remediation through plugin updates to versions that address the information disclosure flaw. The recommended mitigation strategy involves upgrading to the latest plugin version where the access control mechanisms have been properly implemented and tested. Additionally, administrators should conduct thorough security assessments of their WordPress installations to identify any other potential vulnerabilities in form handling or user access controls. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-284 which addresses improper access control, and may also map to ATT&CK technique T1213.002 related to data from information repositories. Security teams should implement network monitoring to detect suspicious shortcode usage patterns and consider implementing additional access controls or custom security measures to protect sensitive form data while awaiting patch deployment.