CVE-2023-1089 in Coupon Zen Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 03/27/2023
The Coupon Zen WordPress plugin before 1.0.6 does not have CSRF check when activating plugins, which could allow attackers to make logged in admins activate arbitrary plugins present on the blog via a CSRF attack
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/15/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-1089 affects the Coupon Zen WordPress plugin version 1.0.5 and earlier, representing a critical security flaw that undermines the integrity of WordPress administrative operations. This issue stems from the absence of Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) protection mechanisms within the plugin's activation functionality, creating a significant vector for malicious actors to exploit authenticated admin sessions. The vulnerability specifically targets the plugin activation process, where legitimate administrative privileges are leveraged to execute unauthorized actions without proper user consent or verification. Such a flaw directly violates fundamental web security principles and exposes WordPress installations to potential compromise through socially engineered attacks that manipulate authenticated users into executing malicious plugin activation requests.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability resides in the plugin's failure to implement proper CSRF token validation during the activation workflow. When administrators access the plugin activation interface, the system should validate that the request originates from a legitimate administrative session and contains appropriate security tokens to prevent unauthorized operations. Without these protective measures, attackers can craft malicious web pages or email attachments that, when visited by authenticated administrators, automatically submit activation requests for unwanted plugins. This flaw operates at the application layer and specifically targets the WordPress plugin management system, where the absence of input validation and session integrity checks creates an exploitable condition that allows for privilege escalation through unauthorized plugin manipulation.
The operational impact of CVE-2023-1089 extends beyond simple unauthorized plugin activation, potentially enabling attackers to install malicious plugins that could serve as persistent backdoors or deliver additional malware payloads. This vulnerability creates a pathway for attackers to compromise WordPress installations through seemingly innocuous administrative actions, as administrators are typically trusted users who perform legitimate plugin management tasks. The risk is particularly severe in environments where administrators frequently access websites from potentially compromised networks or devices, as the CSRF attack can be executed without requiring additional authentication credentials. This vulnerability directly aligns with CWE-352, which categorizes Cross-Site Request Forgery as a security weakness that allows unauthorized commands to be executed on behalf of authenticated users, and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter usage, as attackers may leverage compromised plugin installations for further malicious activities.
The mitigation strategy for CVE-2023-1089 involves immediate upgrading to Coupon Zen plugin version 1.0.6 or later, which implements proper CSRF protection mechanisms. Administrators should also review their WordPress plugin ecosystem for similar vulnerabilities by ensuring all plugins maintain current security standards and implement proper authentication checks. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls can provide additional defense-in-depth measures, though the primary remediation must focus on patching the vulnerable plugin. Security monitoring should include detection of unauthorized plugin activation events, and administrators should consider implementing multi-factor authentication and role-based access controls to limit the potential impact of compromised administrative sessions. Regular security audits of WordPress installations should verify that all plugins properly implement CSRF protection and maintain updated security practices to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in the future.