CVE-2023-50374 in CMP Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 03/28/2024
Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) vulnerability in NiteoThemes CMP – Coming Soon & Maintenance.This issue affects CMP – Coming Soon & Maintenance: from n/a through 4.1.10.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/28/2024
The Server-Side Request Forgery vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-50374 represents a critical security flaw within the NiteoThemes CMP – Coming Soon & Maintenance plugin version 4.1.10 and earlier. This vulnerability arises from insufficient validation of user-supplied input in the plugin's server-side processing logic, creating an avenue for attackers to manipulate the application's behavior by making unauthorized requests to internal or external systems. The flaw specifically manifests when the plugin processes requests that should remain isolated from external network interactions, allowing malicious actors to bypass intended security boundaries and potentially access internal resources that would normally be protected from external access.
The technical implementation of this SSRF vulnerability stems from the plugin's failure to properly sanitize and validate URLs or resource identifiers passed through user-controlled parameters. When the plugin handles incoming requests containing potentially malicious input, it fails to implement adequate filtering mechanisms that would prevent the application from making unintended requests to arbitrary destinations. This weakness enables attackers to craft specially formatted requests that cause the server to initiate connections to internal network services, external malicious servers, or other targets that the application should not be able to reach through normal operation. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and can be exploited through various vectors including direct API calls, form submissions, or URL parameter manipulation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure, potentially enabling attackers to perform reconnaissance activities against internal network infrastructure, access sensitive system information, or even escalate privileges within the compromised environment. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to target internal services that are normally not exposed to the internet, potentially gaining access to databases, administrative interfaces, or other critical systems that reside within the internal network. The vulnerability also poses risks for privilege escalation attacks where an attacker might be able to leverage access to internal systems to gain elevated privileges or access to additional resources within the network. This could result in significant data breaches, system compromise, or disruption of services that rely on the affected plugin.
Security professionals should immediately implement mitigations including updating to the patched version 4.1.11 or later, which addresses the input validation issues that enable the SSRF attack. The fix typically involves implementing proper URL validation, input sanitization, and restricting outbound connections to known safe destinations only. Organizations should also consider implementing network-level controls such as firewalls or proxy configurations that prevent outbound connections from the web server to internal network segments. Additionally, monitoring for suspicious outbound network activity and implementing proper access controls for the plugin's administrative interfaces can help detect and prevent exploitation attempts. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-918, which specifically addresses Server-Side Request Forgery, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1071.004 for Application Layer Protocol: DNS, as attackers may leverage the vulnerability to perform DNS tunneling or other network reconnaissance activities. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and the principle of least privilege in web application security, particularly when handling user-supplied data that may be processed in network contexts.