CVE-2023-51521 in Quiz and Survey Master Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 03/16/2024
Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in ExpressTech Quiz And Survey Master.This issue affects Quiz And Survey Master: from n/a through 8.1.18.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/16/2024
The Cross-Site Request Forgery vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-51521 resides within the ExpressTech Quiz And Survey Master plugin, a widely used WordPress solution for creating quizzes and surveys. This vulnerability represents a critical security flaw that undermines the integrity of user sessions and potentially allows unauthorized actions to be performed on behalf of authenticated users. The affected version range spans from an unspecified starting point through version 8.1.18, indicating that users operating within this scope remain at risk of exploitation. The vulnerability specifically targets the plugin's handling of cross-site requests, creating opportunities for attackers to manipulate user interactions and execute malicious operations without proper authorization.
The technical implementation of this CSRF flaw stems from insufficient validation of request origins and the absence of proper anti-CSRF tokens within critical administrative functions. When users navigate to malicious websites or click on compromised links, attackers can craft requests that appear to originate from legitimate user sessions within the WordPress environment. This occurs because the plugin fails to verify that incoming requests are genuinely initiated by the authenticated user rather than being submitted through external domains or crafted payloads. The vulnerability manifests when users with administrative privileges perform actions such as modifying quiz configurations, adding new survey questions, or altering user permissions, as these operations lack proper origin verification mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data manipulation to encompass potential complete system compromise. An attacker exploiting this CSRF flaw could gain unauthorized access to sensitive quiz data, modify survey parameters to collect unauthorized information, or even escalate privileges within the WordPress environment. The vulnerability's severity is amplified by the fact that many WordPress administrators may not immediately notice unauthorized changes to their quiz and survey configurations, particularly when these modifications occur gradually or are disguised as legitimate updates. This creates a stealthy attack vector that can persist undetected for extended periods while compromising the integrity of educational or data collection systems.
Security mitigations for this CSRF vulnerability should prioritize immediate plugin updates to versions that address the specific validation gaps in request handling. Organizations must implement comprehensive patch management procedures to ensure all instances of the affected plugin are updated promptly. Additionally, implementing proper anti-CSRF token mechanisms within the plugin's administrative interfaces would provide defense-in-depth against similar vulnerabilities. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls can help detect and block suspicious cross-site request patterns, while monitoring systems should be configured to alert administrators of unauthorized modifications to quiz and survey configurations. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses, and represents a typical ATT&CK technique categorized under privilege escalation and persistent threats. Regular security audits of WordPress plugins should include verification of CSRF protection mechanisms, particularly for plugins handling sensitive user data or administrative functions. Organizations should also consider implementing Content Security Policy headers to further restrict cross-site request behaviors and reduce the attack surface for such vulnerabilities.