CVE-2023-45654 in Comments Ratings Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 10/25/2023
Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in Pixelgrade Comments Ratings plugin <= 1.1.7 versions.
Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/03/2023
The CVE-2023-45654 vulnerability represents a critical Cross-Site Request Forgery flaw discovered in the Pixelgrade Comments Ratings WordPress plugin affecting versions up to and including 1.1.7. This vulnerability resides within the plugin's handling of user requests and authentication mechanisms, creating a significant security risk for WordPress sites that utilize this commenting and rating system. The flaw allows malicious actors to execute unauthorized actions on behalf of authenticated users without their knowledge or consent, potentially compromising the integrity and security of the entire WordPress installation.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from the plugin's failure to properly validate and verify the origin of HTTP requests. Specifically, the plugin does not implement adequate anti-CSRF tokens or referer validation checks when processing comment rating submissions and other user actions. This absence of proper request origin verification creates an exploitable gap where attackers can craft malicious web pages or emails containing hidden form submissions that, when visited by authenticated users, automatically perform unwanted actions such as modifying ratings, deleting comments, or executing administrative functions. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and directly affects the plugin's user interaction mechanisms, making it particularly dangerous as it leverages the trust relationship between the user and the WordPress site.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data manipulation to potentially enable more severe compromise scenarios. Attackers could exploit this flaw to manipulate user ratings, inject malicious content, or even perform privilege escalation if the plugin's administrative functions are accessible through the same vulnerable endpoints. The vulnerability affects not just individual user data but could also impact the overall reputation and credibility of the website by allowing unauthorized modifications to user-generated content. Given that many WordPress sites rely on user engagement features like ratings and comments, this vulnerability could be exploited to spread misinformation or manipulate public perception. The attack vector is particularly insidious as it requires minimal user interaction, often just visiting a malicious page or clicking on a compromised link, making it difficult for users to defend against.
Security professionals should immediately implement mitigations including updating to the patched version of the Pixelgrade Comments Ratings plugin, which typically involves introducing proper CSRF token validation mechanisms and ensuring all user actions require proper authentication verification. Organizations should also consider implementing additional defensive measures such as Content Security Policy headers, web application firewalls, and monitoring for suspicious request patterns. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1213.002 for Data from Information Repositories, as it enables unauthorized access to user data and content management functions. Regular security audits of WordPress plugins and themes should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities, and organizations should maintain up-to-date patch management processes to prevent exploitation of known vulnerabilities. The remediation process should include thorough testing to ensure that the patch does not introduce compatibility issues while maintaining the plugin's core functionality and user experience.