CVE-2023-49772 in Genesis Simple Love Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 12/20/2023
Deserialization of Untrusted Data vulnerability in Phpbits Creative Studio Genesis Simple Love.This issue affects Genesis Simple Love: from n/a through 2.0.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/13/2024
The CVE-2023-49772 vulnerability represents a critical deserialization of untrusted data flaw within the Genesis Simple Love plugin developed by Phpbits Creative Studio. This vulnerability exists in versions prior to 2.0 and poses significant security risks to WordPress installations that utilize this plugin. The issue stems from the plugin's failure to properly validate and sanitize user-supplied data during the deserialization process, creating an avenue for malicious actors to execute arbitrary code on affected systems. The vulnerability is classified as a CWE-502 in the Common Weakness Enumeration catalog, which specifically addresses the dangerous practice of deserializing untrusted data without proper security measures. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious serialized objects that, when processed by the vulnerable plugin, trigger unintended code execution. This type of vulnerability falls under the ATT&CK technique T1203 - Exploitation for Client Execution, as it allows adversaries to execute malicious code on the target system through the exploitation of the deserialization flaw.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs when the Genesis Simple Love plugin processes user input through the unserialize() function or similar deserialization mechanisms without adequate sanitization. The plugin's code fails to implement proper input validation, type checking, or secure deserialization practices that would prevent malicious serialized data from being executed. When an attacker successfully injects malicious serialized data, the system attempts to deserialize this data and execute the embedded code, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple code execution as it can enable attackers to perform privilege escalation, data exfiltration, and persistent backdoor installation. The affected versions of the plugin lack proper security controls that would normally prevent such attacks, making all installations prior to version 2.0 susceptible to exploitation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe for WordPress administrators and system operators who have not updated their Genesis Simple Love plugin. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to affected systems, potentially leading to full compromise of the WordPress installation. The vulnerability can result in unauthorized data modification, complete system takeover, and the ability to establish persistent access through backdoors. Organizations running vulnerable versions face significant risk of data breaches, service disruption, and potential regulatory compliance violations. The attack surface is particularly concerning as WordPress remains one of the most widely used content management systems, making this vulnerability attractive to threat actors seeking to exploit large numbers of vulnerable installations. The vulnerability can also be used as a stepping stone for further attacks within a network, as compromised WordPress installations often serve as entry points for broader network infiltration.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-49772 primarily focus on immediate remediation through plugin updates to version 2.0 or later, which contains the necessary security patches to address the deserialization flaw. System administrators should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify all affected installations and ensure proper patch management procedures are in place. Additional protective measures include implementing proper input validation at all levels of the application, using secure coding practices that avoid direct deserialization of untrusted data, and deploying web application firewalls to detect and block malicious payloads. Organizations should also consider implementing network segmentation and monitoring solutions to detect suspicious activities related to deserialization attacks. The vulnerability highlights the importance of following secure coding practices as outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and other industry security standards, emphasizing the need for proper data validation and sanitization in all application components that handle external input. Regular security audits and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other plugins and custom applications.