CVE-2023-2897 in Brizy Page Builder Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 06/09/2023
The Brizy Page Builder plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to IP Address Spoofing in versions up to, and including, 2.4.18. This is due to an implicit trust of user-supplied IP addresses in an 'X-Forwarded-For' HTTP header for the purpose of validating allowed IP addresses against a Maintenance Mode whitelist. Supplying a whitelisted IP address within the 'X-Forwarded-For' header allows maintenance mode to be bypassed and may result in the disclosure of potentially sensitive information or allow access to restricted functionality.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/10/2026
The CVE-2023-2897 vulnerability affects the Brizy Page Builder plugin for WordPress, specifically in versions up to and including 2.4.18. This security flaw represents a critical issue in the plugin's handling of network traffic validation mechanisms, particularly concerning the interpretation of HTTP headers used for access control. The vulnerability stems from the plugin's improper validation of IP address information, creating a pathway for malicious actors to circumvent intended security measures through manipulation of request headers. The issue manifests in the context of maintenance mode access control, where the plugin relies on user-supplied IP addresses contained within the X-Forwarded-For HTTP header to determine access permissions. This implicit trust of user-provided information creates a fundamental security weakness that directly violates established principles of secure input validation and access control implementation.
The technical flaw in CVE-2023-2897 operates through the exploitation of the X-Forwarded-For header mechanism, which is commonly used in web applications to identify the original IP address of a client connecting through a proxy or load balancer. The Brizy plugin's implementation fails to properly validate or sanitize the IP addresses contained within this header, treating them as authoritative without sufficient verification. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control, and specifically demonstrates how improper handling of untrusted input can lead to privilege escalation or bypass of security controls. The flaw essentially allows an attacker to inject a whitelisted IP address into the X-Forwarded-For header, thereby tricking the system into believing that the request originates from an authorized source. This creates a direct path for bypassing maintenance mode restrictions that are typically designed to prevent unauthorized access during system updates, maintenance windows, or other sensitive operations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple access bypass, potentially exposing sensitive system information and functionality to unauthorized parties. When maintenance mode is bypassed through this technique, attackers gain access to restricted areas of the WordPress site that should only be available to authorized administrators or users with specific permissions. This could lead to the disclosure of confidential data, modification of content, unauthorized plugin or theme installations, or even complete system compromise if the attacker can leverage the bypassed access to escalate privileges. The vulnerability creates a scenario where the security boundary established by maintenance mode becomes ineffective, undermining the security posture of the entire WordPress installation. From an attack chain perspective, this vulnerability maps to ATT&CK technique T1078.004 which covers legitimate credentials in cloud environments, as the bypass allows unauthorized access through what should be legitimate access controls.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-2897 should focus on immediate remediation through plugin updates to versions that address the IP validation flaw. Administrators must ensure that all instances of the Brizy plugin are updated to the latest version where the vulnerability has been patched. Beyond immediate updates, system administrators should implement additional layers of security including network-level access controls, proper firewall configurations, and monitoring of unusual access patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of not trusting user-supplied information without proper validation and sanitization, a principle that should be reinforced throughout all web application development processes. Organizations should also consider implementing more robust access control mechanisms that do not rely solely on HTTP headers for critical security decisions, and should establish monitoring procedures to detect potential abuse of similar header-based access control mechanisms. The incident underscores the necessity of following secure coding practices that emphasize input validation, principle of least privilege, and defense in depth strategies to prevent such vulnerabilities from compromising system security.