CVE-2023-47183 in GiveWP Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 01/02/2025
Missing Authorization vulnerability in GiveWP GiveWP allows Exploiting Incorrectly Configured Access Control Security Levels.This issue affects GiveWP: from n/a through 2.33.1.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/26/2025
The CVE-2023-47183 vulnerability represents a critical authorization flaw within the GiveWP donation platform that exposes systems to unauthorized access and potential data compromise. This missing authorization issue stems from improperly configured access control security levels within the GiveWP framework, creating a pathway for malicious actors to bypass intended security measures. The vulnerability affects all versions of GiveWP from the initial release through version 2.33.1, indicating a prolonged period during which the platform remained susceptible to exploitation. Given the nature of donation platforms, this flaw could enable attackers to access sensitive financial data, donor information, and administrative functions that should remain restricted to authorized personnel only.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability manifests through inadequate validation of user permissions and roles within the GiveWP system. When access control mechanisms fail to properly verify that users possess appropriate authorization levels, attackers can exploit this gap to perform actions beyond their intended privileges. This misconfiguration typically occurs when the platform does not adequately enforce role-based access controls or fails to validate session tokens and user credentials before granting access to sensitive endpoints. The flaw operates at the application layer and can be particularly dangerous because it affects core administrative functions that control donation processing, user management, and financial reporting within the platform. Attackers exploiting this vulnerability may gain access to donor databases, modify donation records, or manipulate payment processing functions.
The operational impact of CVE-2023-47183 extends beyond simple unauthorized access to encompass potential financial fraud, data breaches, and regulatory compliance violations. Organizations utilizing GiveWP for donation processing face significant risk of exposure to sensitive donor information including personal identification details, payment card data, and financial transaction records. The vulnerability creates opportunities for attackers to conduct fraudulent activities such as modifying donation amounts, redirecting payments to unauthorized accounts, or extracting comprehensive donor databases for sale on underground markets. Additionally, the compromise of administrative functions could enable attackers to install malicious code, modify platform configurations, or disable security controls entirely. This type of vulnerability directly impacts the platform's integrity and can result in substantial financial losses, reputational damage, and potential legal consequences under data protection regulations such as gdpr and pci dss.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigation strategies including updating to the latest available version of GiveWP where the vulnerability has been addressed, conducting comprehensive access control reviews, and implementing additional security monitoring measures. The fix typically involves strengthening authorization checks at all entry points and ensuring proper role-based access controls are enforced throughout the application. Security teams should perform thorough penetration testing to identify any potential exploitation paths and implement network segmentation to limit the impact of any successful attacks. The vulnerability aligns with common weakness enumeration cwes 285 and 798, which address improper authorization and hard-coded credentials respectively, and maps to attack techniques in the attack tree framework including privilege escalation and unauthorized access. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and continuous monitoring solutions to detect and prevent exploitation attempts. Regular security audits and access control assessments remain essential for maintaining the platform's security posture and preventing similar authorization failures from occurring in the future.