CVE-2023-27633 in Customify Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 11/22/2023
Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in Pixelgrade Customify – Intuitive Website Styling plugin <= 2.10.4 versions.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/22/2023
A cross-site request forgery vulnerability exists within the Pixelgrade Customify plugin for WordPress affecting versions 2.10.4 and earlier. This weakness allows authenticated attackers with contributor level permissions or higher to perform unauthorized actions on behalf of victims without their knowledge or consent. The vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of the referer header and missing anti-csrf tokens in critical administrative functions, particularly those related to theme customization settings and configuration modifications. Attackers can craft malicious requests that appear legitimate to the WordPress admin system, exploiting the trust relationship between the user's browser and the target website.
The technical flaw manifests when users with appropriate privileges navigate to compromised pages or click on malicious links that trigger unauthorized administrative actions. The plugin fails to implement proper csrf protection mechanisms such as nonce validation for form submissions and ajax requests. This allows attackers to manipulate the plugin's styling and customization features through forged requests, potentially leading to unauthorized theme modifications, content injection, or other malicious activities within the context of the victim's privileges. The vulnerability specifically impacts the plugin's ability to verify that requests originate from legitimate sources within the same origin.
The operational impact of this csrf vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation as it enables attackers to modify website configurations and styling parameters that could affect site appearance, functionality, and potentially provide a foothold for further attacks. An authenticated attacker with contributor permissions can modify theme settings, alter custom CSS configurations, or manipulate plugin behavior in ways that may compromise the website's integrity. The attack vector typically involves tricking users into clicking malicious links while logged into their WordPress admin panels, making it particularly dangerous in environments where users frequently access administrative interfaces. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-352 which specifically addresses cross-site request forgery weaknesses in web applications.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing robust csrf protection measures including the use of nonce tokens for all administrative actions and proper referer header validation. Plugin developers should ensure that all form submissions and ajax requests include unique, time-based tokens that validate the authenticity of user intent. Additionally, administrators should immediately update to version 2.10.5 or later where this vulnerability has been patched. Regular security audits should verify that all plugin components implement proper csrf protection mechanisms. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security measures such as web application firewalls and monitoring for suspicious administrative activities. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of following secure coding practices and adhering to ATT&CK framework techniques related to privilege escalation and credential exposure through web application vulnerabilities.