CVE-2023-3998 in wpDiscuz Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 10/25/2023
The wpDiscuz plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized modification of data due to a missing authorization check on the userRate function in versions up to, and including, 7.6.3. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to increase or decrease the rating of a post.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/10/2026
The wpDiscuz plugin represents one of the most widely used comment management systems for wordpress platforms, with over 100000 active installations and a significant market presence in the content management space. This vulnerability affects versions up to and including 7.6.3, creating a critical security gap that undermines the integrity of user rating systems across numerous wordpress websites. The plugin's userRate function lacks proper authorization verification, creating a fundamental flaw in the access control mechanism that directly impacts data modification capabilities.
The technical flaw resides in the absence of authentication checks within the userRate function implementation, allowing any remote attacker to manipulate post ratings without proper credentials or permissions. This missing authorization check constitutes a classic security vulnerability pattern that aligns with CWE-863, or "Incorrect Authorization," where the system fails to verify that an actor has adequate access rights to perform a requested operation. The vulnerability specifically affects the rating functionality, enabling attackers to incrementally increase or decrease post ratings through crafted requests that bypass normal access controls.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data manipulation, creating potential risks for content integrity, user trust, and platform reputation management. Unauthenticated attackers can systematically alter post ratings to manipulate content visibility, influence search engine optimization rankings, or create misleading engagement metrics that could affect business decisions. This vulnerability particularly affects websites that rely on user-generated ratings for content validation, product reviews, or community engagement metrics, making it a significant concern for e-commerce platforms, news portals, and social media integration sites.
The vulnerability's exploitation pathway follows standard attack patterns documented in the mitre ATT&CK framework under the privilege escalation and data manipulation categories. Attackers can leverage this weakness to perform unauthorized modifications through simple http requests that target the userRate endpoint, making the attack surface easily accessible without requiring advanced technical skills or privileged access. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous as it can be exploited by automated tools or script kiddies, amplifying the potential for widespread impact across multiple websites.
Security mitigation strategies should focus on immediate plugin updates to versions that address the authorization flaw, implementing additional access controls at the web application firewall level, and monitoring for unauthorized rating modifications. Organizations should also consider implementing rate limiting mechanisms to detect and prevent automated exploitation attempts, while conducting thorough security audits of other plugin functions that may share similar authorization gaps. The vulnerability highlights the critical importance of proper access control implementation in wordpress plugins and underscores the necessity of regular security assessments for third-party components in web applications.