CVE-2023-2986 in Abandoned Cart Lite for WooCommerce Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 06/08/2023
The Abandoned Cart Lite for WooCommerce plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to authentication bypass in versions up to, and including, 5.14.2. This is due to insufficient encryption on the user being supplied during the abandoned cart link decode through the plugin. This allows unauthenticated attackers to log in as users who have abandoned the cart, who are typically customers. Further security hardening was introduced in version 5.15.1 that ensures sites are no longer vulnerable through historical check-out links, and additional hardening was introduced in version 5.15.2 that ensured null key values wouldn't permit the authentication bypass.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/09/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-2986 affects the Abandoned Cart Lite for WooCommerce plugin, a widely used WordPress extension designed to recover lost sales by sending automated reminders to customers who leave items in their shopping carts. This plugin operates by generating special links that allow customers to return to their incomplete purchases, but the implementation contains a critical flaw in how authentication is handled during the link decoding process. The vulnerability specifically targets versions up to and including 5.14.2, where the plugin fails to properly validate or encrypt user credentials during the abandoned cart recovery process, creating a pathway for unauthorized access.
The technical flaw stems from inadequate encryption mechanisms within the plugin's handling of user data during the cart recovery workflow. When users click on abandoned cart links, the system should verify that the link is legitimate and that the user has proper authorization to access the associated cart information. However, the vulnerability allows attackers to manipulate the link parameters or decode the information in a way that bypasses normal authentication checks. This weakness is classified as an authentication bypass vulnerability under CWE-287, which deals with improper handling of authentication tokens and session management. The flaw essentially allows an attacker to impersonate legitimate users by exploiting the weak encryption or validation process that occurs when decoding the cart recovery links.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant for e-commerce sites using the affected plugin, as it creates a direct pathway for unauthorized individuals to access customer accounts and potentially make unauthorized purchases or view sensitive personal information. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by simply constructing or manipulating the abandoned cart links to gain access to customer sessions without requiring valid credentials or authentication. This creates a serious risk for customer privacy and business security, particularly in environments where customer data and payment information are stored. The vulnerability affects typical customers who have abandoned their carts, making it particularly dangerous as it targets real user sessions rather than system administrators or other privileged accounts. This authentication bypass represents a critical weakness that can be exploited through various attack vectors, including social engineering or automated scanning tools targeting vulnerable WordPress installations.
The plugin developers addressed this vulnerability through a series of updates beginning with version 5.15.1, which introduced enhanced security measures to prevent the exploitation of historical checkout links that could have been used to maintain access to compromised sessions. The subsequent version 5.15.2 provided additional hardening by ensuring that null key values in the authentication process would not permit the bypass of security checks, thereby closing another potential attack vector. These updates demonstrate the importance of proper cryptographic implementation and validation of user inputs in web applications. The remediation efforts align with security best practices outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and various NIST guidelines for secure software development. Organizations using this plugin should immediately upgrade to version 5.15.2 or later to ensure protection against this authentication bypass vulnerability, as the historical nature of the flaw means that previously compromised sessions could remain at risk until the updates are applied. The vulnerability also highlights the need for continuous security monitoring and proper input validation in third-party plugins that handle sensitive user data, as these components often represent weak points in overall security infrastructure.