CVE-2023-1093 in OAuth Single Sign On Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 03/27/2023
The OAuth Single Sign On WordPress plugin before 6.24.2 does not have CSRF checks when discarding Identify providers (IdP), which could allow attackers to make logged in admins delete all IdP via a CSRF attack
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/15/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-1093 affects the OAuth Single Sign On WordPress plugin version 6.24.1 and earlier, representing a critical security flaw that undermines the integrity of authentication management within WordPress environments. This issue stems from the absence of Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) protection mechanisms when administrators attempt to remove Identity Providers from the plugin's configuration. The flaw specifically targets the administrative functionality that allows users to discard Identity Providers, creating an avenue for malicious actors to exploit the lack of proper validation checks.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability resides in the plugin's failure to validate the authenticity of requests made to the IdP deletion endpoint. When an administrator performs actions related to Identity Provider management, the plugin should verify that the request originates from a legitimate administrative session and not from a malicious third party. Without CSRF tokens or similar validation mechanisms, an attacker can craft malicious requests that appear to come from an authenticated administrator session, enabling unauthorized deletion of all configured Identity Providers. This represents a direct violation of the principle of least privilege and demonstrates a critical failure in input validation and request authentication.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data loss, as it fundamentally compromises the authentication infrastructure of WordPress sites using the affected plugin. When an attacker successfully executes a CSRF attack to delete all Identity Providers, they essentially remove all configured single sign-on capabilities, forcing administrators to reconfigure authentication methods manually. This disruption can lead to temporary service unavailability while administrators restore proper authentication mechanisms, and may also expose the system to additional attack vectors if administrators rush to reconfigure authentication without proper security considerations. The vulnerability affects any WordPress site that relies on the OAuth Single Sign On plugin for managing external authentication sources, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where single sign-on is widely deployed.
Security professionals should recognize this vulnerability as a classic example of insufficient CSRF protection, which aligns with CWE-352, Cross-Site Request Forgery. The flaw also demonstrates characteristics consistent with ATT&CK technique T1566.002, "Phishing for Information," as attackers may need to trick administrators into visiting malicious sites containing CSRF payloads. The vulnerability's severity is amplified by its potential to disrupt authentication services and could be leveraged as part of broader attack campaigns targeting WordPress environments. Organizations should prioritize immediate patching to version 6.24.2 or later, which implements proper CSRF validation mechanisms. Additionally, administrators should consider implementing additional security controls such as network segmentation, monitoring for unusual administrative activities, and regular security audits of WordPress plugins to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of their digital infrastructure.