CVE-2023-51402 in Ultimate Addons for WPBakery Page Builder Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 12/29/2023
Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in Brain Storm Force Ultimate Addons for WPBakery Page Builder.This issue affects Ultimate Addons for WPBakery Page Builder: from n/a through 3.19.17.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/21/2024
The CVE-2023-51402 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within the Brain Storm Force Ultimate Addons for WPBakery Page Builder plugin, specifically impacting versions ranging from an unspecified starting point through 3.19.17. This vulnerability resides in the web application's authentication and session management mechanisms, where the plugin fails to properly validate and enforce the authenticity of HTTP requests originating from legitimate users. The flaw allows malicious actors to exploit the absence of proper anti-CSRF token implementation, creating a pathway for unauthorized actions to be executed on behalf of authenticated users who visit compromised web pages or click on malicious links.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the plugin's failure to incorporate or properly utilize anti-CSRF tokens in its form submissions and API endpoints. When users interact with the WPBakery Page Builder interface or perform administrative actions through the Ultimate Addons plugin, the system should validate that requests originate from legitimate sources by verifying the presence and integrity of anti-CSRF tokens. However, the vulnerability exists due to the absence of such validation mechanisms, allowing attackers to craft malicious requests that appear to be legitimate user actions. This weakness aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery vulnerabilities where applications fail to validate the origin of requests.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data manipulation or unauthorized access, as it can potentially enable attackers to perform administrative actions within the WordPress environment. An attacker could leverage this CSRF vulnerability to modify page content, add malicious code, alter user permissions, or even create new administrator accounts through the compromised plugin interface. The vulnerability affects the entire WordPress ecosystem where the plugin is installed, potentially leading to complete compromise of the website's content management system and user data integrity. This risk is particularly severe in environments where administrators frequently visit external websites or where users have elevated privileges, as the attack vectors become more accessible and impactful.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate plugin updates to versions that address the CSRF implementation gaps, while also implementing additional protective measures such as Content Security Policy headers and proper request origin validation. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious request patterns, while ensuring that all administrative interfaces require proper authentication tokens. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security practices and following secure coding guidelines, particularly in the context of WordPress plugins that handle sensitive administrative functions. This issue underscores the necessity of regular security audits and the implementation of proper input validation and request authentication mechanisms as outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and MITRE ATT&CK framework, specifically addressing the threat of privilege escalation through CSRF attacks.