CVE-2023-2285 in WP Activity Log Premium Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 06/09/2023
The WP Activity Log Premium plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Cross-Site Request Forgery in versions up to, and including, 4.5.0. This is due to missing or incorrect nonce validation on the ajax_switch_db function. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to make changes to the plugin's settings via a forged request granted they can trick a site administrator into performing an action such as clicking on a link.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/10/2026
The WP Activity Log Premium plugin represents a critical security vulnerability classified as CVE-2023-2285, affecting WordPress environments where this specific plugin version is installed. This vulnerability manifests as a cross-site request forgery weakness that undermines the plugin's ability to maintain secure administrative operations. The flaw exists within the plugin's ajax_switch_db function, which fails to implement proper nonce validation mechanisms that are essential for verifying the authenticity of administrative requests. This absence of cryptographic verification creates an exploitable condition that allows malicious actors to manipulate plugin configurations without proper authorization.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the plugin's failure to validate nonces during the ajax_switch_db function execution. Nonces serve as time-limited tokens that ensure requests originate from legitimate administrative sessions and prevent unauthorized modifications to system settings. Without this validation, an attacker can craft malicious requests that appear to come from authenticated administrators, exploiting the trust relationship between the plugin and its users. This particular flaw aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses cross-site request forgery vulnerabilities in web applications. The vulnerability's impact is amplified by the fact that it affects versions up to and including 4.5.0, indicating a widespread exposure across numerous WordPress installations that have not yet updated their plugin versions.
The operational consequences of this vulnerability extend beyond simple configuration changes, as it enables attackers to manipulate core plugin functionality that monitors and logs administrative activities. When an administrator clicks on a malicious link or visits a compromised website, the forged request can execute administrative actions without their knowledge or consent. This creates a significant risk for organizations relying on activity logging for security monitoring, as attackers could potentially disable logging features or redirect logs to malicious endpoints. The vulnerability operates under the ATT&CK framework's privilege escalation techniques, specifically targeting the modification of application settings to gain deeper system access. Additionally, this weakness falls under the category of credential exposure and session management failures, as it undermines the integrity of administrative sessions and the trust model that WordPress relies upon for secure plugin operations.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-2285 require immediate action from system administrators to update the WP Activity Log Premium plugin to a patched version that implements proper nonce validation. Organizations should also implement additional security measures including network monitoring for suspicious administrative activities, regular security audits of installed plugins, and enforcement of strict access controls for administrative functions. The recommended remediation approach involves updating to the latest plugin version that addresses the nonce validation issue, while also implementing web application firewalls that can detect and block malicious CSRF requests. Security teams should also conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify other potentially vulnerable plugins or components within their WordPress environments, as similar issues may exist in other third-party extensions. Regular patch management processes should be enhanced to ensure rapid deployment of security updates and to maintain awareness of emerging threats targeting WordPress ecosystems and their associated plugins.