CVE-2023-40561 in Enhanced Ecommerce Google Analytics for WooCommerce Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 10/25/2023
Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in theDotstore Enhanced Ecommerce Google Analytics for WooCommerce plugin <= 3.7.1 versions.
If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/25/2023
The CVE-2023-40561 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within theDotstore Enhanced Ecommerce Google Analytics for WooCommerce plugin, affecting versions up to and including 3.7.1. This vulnerability arises from the plugin's inadequate implementation of anti-CSRF protection mechanisms, specifically the absence of proper request validation tokens or nonce verification in critical administrative functions. The flaw allows authenticated administrators to be tricked into executing unintended actions through maliciously crafted requests, exploiting the trust relationship between the victim's browser and the targeted WordPress site.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the plugin's failure to properly validate the origin and authenticity of administrative requests. When administrators perform sensitive operations such as modifying plugin settings, updating analytics configurations, or managing user data, the plugin does not require cryptographic tokens or referer validation to confirm that requests originate from legitimate sources within the same session. This design flaw creates an exploitable condition where attackers can craft malicious web pages or emails that, when visited by authenticated administrators, automatically submit requests to the vulnerable plugin endpoints. The vulnerability operates under CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses in web applications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data manipulation, as it can enable attackers to gain unauthorized access to sensitive administrative functions within the WooCommerce ecosystem. Successful exploitation could result in unauthorized modification of analytics tracking codes, alteration of plugin configurations, potential data exfiltration, or even complete compromise of the plugin's functionality. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in environments where administrators frequently visit external websites or receive phishing emails, as the attack vector requires minimal user interaction beyond visiting a malicious page. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1566.002 (Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment) and T1071.001 (Application Layer Protocol: Web Protocols), as it leverages web-based attack vectors to exploit trust relationships within web applications.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-40561 should prioritize immediate plugin updates to versions 3.7.2 or later, which contain the necessary CSRF protection mechanisms. Administrators should also implement additional security measures including regular security audits of installed plugins, monitoring for unauthorized configuration changes, and ensuring that all administrative users employ multi-factor authentication. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls and strict referer header validation can provide additional defense-in-depth layers. Organizations should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify other potentially vulnerable components within their WooCommerce installations and ensure proper patch management processes are in place to address similar vulnerabilities in the future. The fix typically involves implementing proper nonce generation and validation mechanisms that ensure all administrative requests contain cryptographically secure tokens that are verified before processing sensitive operations.