CVE-2023-28749 in CM On Demand Search And Replace Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 11/22/2023
Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in CreativeMindsSolutions CM On Demand Search And Replace plugin <= 1.3.0 versions.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/23/2026
The CVE-2023-28749 vulnerability represents a critical Cross-Site Request Forgery flaw discovered in the CM On Demand Search And Replace plugin for WordPress, affecting versions up to and including 1.3.0. This vulnerability resides within the plugin's administrative functionality, specifically targeting the search and replace operations that administrators can perform through the WordPress dashboard. The flaw allows attackers to manipulate the plugin's behavior without the victim's knowledge or consent, potentially enabling unauthorized modifications to website content and configuration settings. The vulnerability stems from the absence of proper CSRF protection mechanisms within the plugin's administrative interfaces, making it susceptible to exploitation by malicious actors who can craft malicious requests that appear to originate from legitimate administrators.
This technical weakness directly violates the fundamental principles of web application security and aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery vulnerabilities. The flaw operates by leveraging the trust relationship between the web application and the authenticated user, where the application fails to validate that requests are genuinely initiated by the authenticated user rather than by an attacker who has tricked the user into executing malicious actions. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects a plugin that provides powerful content manipulation capabilities, meaning an attacker who successfully exploits this CSRF flaw could potentially modify website content, alter search and replace configurations, or even gain unauthorized access to sensitive data within the CMS environment. The attack vector typically involves the creation of malicious web pages or email content that, when visited by an authenticated administrator, automatically submits requests to the vulnerable plugin's administrative endpoints.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple content modification, as it can compromise the integrity and availability of the entire WordPress installation when the plugin is in use. Attackers could leverage this flaw to perform unauthorized administrative actions, potentially leading to complete website compromise, data exfiltration, or the injection of malicious code into the website. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in environments where administrators frequently access the website from shared or public computers, as the attack can be executed without requiring any authentication credentials from the attacker. The exploitation process typically involves the use of social engineering techniques, where administrators are tricked into visiting malicious websites or opening compromised email attachments that contain embedded CSRF attacks. This vulnerability also has implications for compliance with industry standards such as the NIST Cybersecurity Framework, as it represents a significant gap in the security controls of the WordPress ecosystem and could result in regulatory violations for organizations that rely on WordPress for their digital presence.
Organizations utilizing the CM On Demand Search And Replace plugin must implement immediate mitigations to address this vulnerability, with the most effective approach being the immediate upgrade to the patched version of the plugin, which resolves the CSRF protection issues. The mitigation strategy should also include implementing additional security layers such as Content Security Policy (CSP) headers, which can help prevent unauthorized script execution and limit the potential impact of successful CSRF attacks. Network-based protections such as Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) can also be deployed to detect and block malicious requests targeting the vulnerable plugin endpoints, though these should be considered supplementary rather than primary defenses. Administrators should also implement proper user education regarding the risks of visiting untrusted websites and opening suspicious email attachments, as social engineering remains a critical attack vector for CSRF exploitation. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of regular security audits and the need for organizations to maintain up-to-date security practices, including the implementation of automated patch management systems to ensure that all WordPress plugins and themes are regularly updated to address known security vulnerabilities. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing monitoring solutions that can detect unusual administrative activities or unauthorized configuration changes that might indicate successful exploitation of this CSRF vulnerability, thereby providing an additional layer of defense beyond the initial patching measures.