CVE-2023-45762 in Responsive Column Widgets Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 12/07/2023
URL Redirection to Untrusted Site ('Open Redirect') vulnerability in Michael Uno (miunosoft) Responsive Column Widgets.This issue affects Responsive Column Widgets: from n/a through 1.2.7.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/30/2023
The CVE-2023-45762 vulnerability represents a critical open redirect flaw within the Michael Uno Responsive Column Widgets plugin for WordPress, specifically impacting versions ranging from the initial release through 1.2.7. This vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-601, which specifically addresses URL redirection to untrusted sites, making it a prime target for phishing attacks and social engineering campaigns. The flaw exists in the plugin's handling of user-provided URL parameters, creating an avenue for malicious actors to redirect users to potentially harmful external domains while maintaining the appearance of legitimate website navigation.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization within the plugin's redirect functionality. When users interact with certain plugin features that involve URL parameter handling, the application fails to properly validate or sanitize the destination URLs before performing redirects. This allows attackers to craft malicious URLs that contain crafted redirect parameters pointing to attacker-controlled domains. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates at the application layer without requiring authentication or specific user privileges, making it easily exploitable through simple web requests. Attackers can leverage this flaw by constructing malicious URLs that appear legitimate but redirect users to phishing sites, malware distribution points, or other malicious destinations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple redirection, creating significant security risks for WordPress site administrators and their visitors. When exploited, the vulnerability enables sophisticated phishing campaigns where users are tricked into visiting malicious sites that appear to be legitimate extensions of the original website. This can lead to credential theft, malware infections, and data breaches that compromise both individual users and the organization hosting the vulnerable plugin. The attack surface is particularly wide given that WordPress plugins are widely used across various industries, meaning that successful exploitation could affect numerous websites and their users. From an attacker perspective, this vulnerability aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK framework's technique T1566, specifically the 'Phishing' tactic, where attackers use deceptive redirects to compromise targets. The vulnerability also relates to T1071.004, which covers application layer protocol usage, as it exploits HTTP redirect mechanisms to achieve malicious objectives.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-45762 should prioritize immediate plugin updates to versions that address the vulnerability, as the vendor has likely released patches to resolve the input validation issues. Site administrators should implement comprehensive URL validation mechanisms that ensure all redirect destinations are properly sanitized and validated against a known safe list of domains. Additional protective measures include implementing Content Security Policy headers that restrict redirect behaviors and monitoring network traffic for suspicious redirect patterns. Organizations should also conduct thorough vulnerability assessments of their WordPress installations to identify other potentially vulnerable plugins and ensure proper input validation across all web applications. The remediation process should include disabling the affected plugin immediately while awaiting patches, followed by comprehensive security testing to verify that the vulnerability has been fully addressed. Regular security audits and automated vulnerability scanning should be implemented to prevent similar issues from arising in the future, particularly focusing on input validation and output encoding practices that align with secure coding standards and industry best practices.