CVE-2023-25449 in cformsII Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 06/15/2023
Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in Oliver Seidel, Bastian Germann cformsII plugin <= 15.0.4 versions.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/15/2023
The CVE-2023-25449 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw discovered in the cformsII WordPress plugin developed by Oliver Seidel and Bastian Germann. This vulnerability affects versions 15.0.4 and earlier, exposing WordPress websites to potential unauthorized actions performed by malicious actors. The flaw resides in the plugin's insufficient validation of cross-site requests, allowing attackers to exploit the trust relationship between authenticated users and the vulnerable web application. The vulnerability specifically impacts the plugin's form handling mechanisms where proper anti-CSRF token implementation is missing or inadequate.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from the absence of proper request verification mechanisms within the cformsII plugin's processing routines. When users access forms or submit data through the plugin, the system fails to validate that requests originate from legitimate sources within the same origin. This weakness allows attackers to craft malicious requests that can be executed on behalf of authenticated users without their knowledge or consent. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and specifically targets the plugin's administrative and form submission endpoints, making it particularly dangerous for websites that rely heavily on form processing functionality.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or modification. Attackers can leverage this CSRF flaw to perform administrative actions such as creating new user accounts, modifying existing forms, changing plugin settings, or even deleting critical form data. The vulnerability essentially allows unauthorized modification of the website's form configuration and data handling processes, potentially leading to data breaches, service disruption, or complete compromise of the affected WordPress installation. Given that cformsII is a widely used plugin for contact form management, the potential attack surface is significant across numerous websites.
Security professionals should recognize this vulnerability as a classic example of CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses in web applications. The flaw aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.002, which covers phishing with social engineering, as attackers can craft convincing attacks that exploit the trust relationship between users and the vulnerable application. Organizations should immediately implement mitigation strategies including immediate plugin updates to versions 15.0.5 or later, implementing additional security measures such as custom anti-CSRF tokens, monitoring for suspicious form submissions, and conducting thorough security audits of all installed plugins. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date software and proper input validation practices in web application security.