CVE-2023-4150 in User Activity Tracking and Log Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 08/30/2023
The User Activity Tracking and Log WordPress plugin before 4.0.9 does not have proper CSRF checks when managing its license, which could allow attackers to make logged in admins update and deactivate the plugin's license via CSRF attacks
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/24/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-4150 affects the User Activity Tracking and Log WordPress plugin version 4.0.8 and earlier, representing a critical security flaw that exploits cross-site request forgery mechanisms. This issue stems from the plugin's failure to implement proper CSRF protection when handling license management operations, creating an avenue for malicious actors to manipulate administrative functions without user consent. The vulnerability specifically targets the license update and deactivation functionalities, which are critical components for maintaining plugin functionality and security posture.
The technical flaw manifests as the absence of anti-CSRF tokens or validation mechanisms within the plugin's license management endpoints. When administrators perform license-related operations, the plugin should validate that requests originate from legitimate administrative sessions rather than forged requests submitted by attackers. Without this validation, an attacker can craft malicious web pages or emails containing specially crafted requests that, when executed by an authenticated administrator, will modify the plugin's license status without the admin's knowledge or consent. This represents a classic CSRF vulnerability pattern where the attacker exploits the administrator's authenticated session to perform unauthorized actions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it allows attackers to potentially disable critical monitoring functionality or manipulate license states to gain unauthorized access to premium features. Administrators may unknowingly deactivate their licenses, rendering the plugin ineffective for user activity tracking and log management, which could compromise security monitoring capabilities. Additionally, attackers might exploit this vulnerability to force license updates to malicious values, potentially leading to service disruption or unauthorized access to premium plugin features. The vulnerability affects any WordPress installation running the affected plugin version, making it particularly dangerous in environments with multiple administrators.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery flaws in software applications. The issue also maps to ATT&CK technique T1078.004, which covers valid accounts for maintaining persistent access, as administrators may unknowingly compromise their sessions through CSRF attacks. Organizations should immediately update to plugin version 4.0.9 or later, which implements proper CSRF protection mechanisms including token validation and request origin verification. Network administrators should also monitor for suspicious license-related activity in their logs and consider implementing additional security controls such as web application firewalls to detect and prevent CSRF attacks targeting WordPress installations.