CVE-2023-25035 in Quick Contact Form Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 12/09/2024
Missing Authorization vulnerability in Fullworks Quick Contact Form allows Exploiting Incorrectly Configured Access Control Security Levels.This issue affects Quick Contact Form : from n/a through 8.0.3.1.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/09/2024
The CVE-2023-25035 vulnerability represents a critical authorization flaw within the Fullworks Quick Contact Form plugin, specifically impacting versions ranging from an unspecified starting point through 8.0.3.1. This security weakness stems from incorrectly configured access control mechanisms that fail to properly validate user permissions before granting access to sensitive administrative functions. The vulnerability exists at the application level where proper authorization checks are either missing or inadequately implemented, allowing unauthorized users to bypass normal security controls and access restricted functionality.
This missing authorization issue creates a significant risk exposure by enabling attackers to exploit improperly configured security levels within the contact form plugin. The flaw allows unauthorized individuals to perform administrative actions that should only be accessible to authenticated administrators, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple data access, as it can enable attackers to modify plugin configurations, inject malicious code, or manipulate contact form submissions to redirect sensitive information to attacker-controlled endpoints. The issue manifests as a failure in the principle of least privilege, where users without proper authorization credentials can access functionality that requires elevated permissions.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-862, which describes "Missing Authorization" as a weakness where a component does not properly check for authorization before performing operations that require specific permissions. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this type of vulnerability under T1078, which covers valid accounts and legitimate credentials, as unauthorized users can leverage this flaw to gain unauthorized access to administrative capabilities. The operational impact is severe as it allows attackers to escalate privileges without proper authentication, potentially leading to full system compromise and data breaches. Organizations using vulnerable versions of this plugin face significant risk of unauthorized access to contact form data, potential injection attacks, and possible lateral movement within their network infrastructure.
The recommended mitigation strategies include immediate upgrading to the latest version of the Fullworks Quick Contact Form plugin where this vulnerability has been addressed. System administrators should also implement additional security controls such as restricting access to plugin directories, monitoring for unauthorized access attempts, and conducting regular security audits of installed plugins. Network segmentation and firewall rules can help limit exposure by restricting access to administrative interfaces. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block exploitation attempts targeting this specific vulnerability. Regular vulnerability scanning and patch management processes should be enhanced to identify and remediate similar authorization flaws across all installed applications and plugins. The remediation process must include thorough testing of the updated plugin to ensure that all functionality remains intact while addressing the authorization bypass vulnerability.