CVE-2023-0725 in Wicked Folders Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 02/08/2023
The Wicked Folders plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Cross-Site Request Forgery in versions up to, and including, 2.18.16. This is due to missing or incorrect nonce validation on the ajax_clone_folder function. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to invoke this function via forged request granted they can trick a site administrator into performing an action such as clicking on a link leading them to perform actions intended for administrators such as changing the folder structure maintained by the plugin.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/06/2023
The CVE-2023-0725 vulnerability affects the Wicked Folders plugin for WordPress, specifically targeting versions up to and including 2.18.16. This represents a critical cross-site request forgery weakness that undermines the security controls designed to protect administrative functions within WordPress environments. The vulnerability stems from insufficient validation mechanisms within the plugin's ajax_clone_folder function, which fails to properly verify the authenticity of incoming requests. This flaw creates a pathway for malicious actors to manipulate folder structures through unauthorized administrative actions, potentially compromising the integrity of file organization and access controls within WordPress sites that utilize this plugin.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability lies in the absence of proper nonce validation within the ajax_clone_folder function, which serves as the primary mechanism for authenticating administrative requests. Nonces represent time-based tokens that verify the legitimacy of user actions and prevent unauthorized operations from being executed. When this validation is missing or incorrectly implemented, attackers can craft malicious requests that appear to originate from legitimate administrative sessions. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it requires no authentication to exploit, allowing unauthenticated attackers to perform administrative actions simply by tricking administrators into clicking malicious links or visiting compromised web pages that automatically submit requests to the vulnerable plugin endpoint.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data manipulation, potentially enabling attackers to execute a wide range of malicious activities within the affected WordPress environment. Administrators who fall victim to this CSRF attack could unknowingly have their folder structures altered, potentially leading to unauthorized file organization changes, access control modifications, or even the creation of malicious folder hierarchies that could facilitate further exploitation. The vulnerability's exploitation requires social engineering tactics such as phishing campaigns or compromised websites, but once successful, it can result in significant operational disruption and potential data compromise. This type of vulnerability directly violates the principle of least privilege and undermines the security model of WordPress installations that rely on proper authentication mechanisms to protect administrative functions.
Organizations utilizing the Wicked Folders plugin must implement immediate remediation measures to address this vulnerability, including updating to the latest plugin version where the nonce validation has been properly implemented. Security teams should also consider implementing additional monitoring for suspicious administrative activities and reviewing access controls within their WordPress environments. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery issues, and represents a clear violation of the principle of authentication validation. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1566 for social engineering techniques and T1078 for valid accounts usage, as attackers leverage administrator sessions without proper authorization. Organizations should also consider implementing Content Security Policy headers and additional request validation mechanisms to provide defense-in-depth against similar CSRF vulnerabilities that may exist in other plugin components or custom WordPress functionality.