CVE-2023-5802 in WP Knowledgebase Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 10/26/2023
Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in Mihai Iova WordPress Knowledge base & Documentation Plugin – WP Knowledgebase plugin
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/18/2023
The CVE-2023-5802 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within the WP Knowledgebase plugin for WordPress, a widely deployed content management system solution. This vulnerability specifically affects the plugin's handling of user authentication and session management mechanisms, creating a pathway for malicious actors to execute unauthorized actions on behalf of authenticated users. The flaw manifests in the plugin's failure to properly validate and verify the origin of HTTP requests, particularly those involving administrative functions and data modifications. Security researchers identified that the plugin does not adequately implement anti-CSRF tokens or other protective measures that would ensure requests originate from legitimate sources within the authenticated user's session context.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the plugin's insufficient validation of request authenticity, which violates fundamental web security principles and aligns with CWE-352, the weakness category for Cross-Site Request Forgery. The vulnerability allows attackers to craft malicious requests that can be executed when a logged-in user visits a compromised website or clicks on a malicious link. This flaw is particularly dangerous because it leverages the trust relationship between the WordPress application and its users, enabling unauthorized modifications to knowledge base content, user permissions, or system configurations. The attack vector typically involves sending crafted HTTP requests to the plugin's administrative endpoints, exploiting the absence of proper token validation or referer header checking mechanisms.
The operational impact of CVE-2023-5802 extends beyond simple data manipulation, as it can lead to complete compromise of the affected WordPress installation when combined with other vulnerabilities or attack techniques. An attacker could potentially modify or delete critical documentation content, alter user access levels, or even escalate privileges within the knowledge base system. The vulnerability's exploitation could result in data integrity violations, unauthorized content publication, or the creation of backdoor access points within the WordPress environment. This represents a significant risk to organizations relying on the plugin for internal documentation systems, knowledge management, or customer support portals where sensitive information is stored and managed.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate plugin updates from the vendor, as recommended by WordPress security best practices and aligned with ATT&CK technique T1211 for lateral movement through compromised web applications. Organizations should implement additional security layers such as web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious request patterns, enforce strict referer header validation, and implement proper CSRF token generation and verification mechanisms. Network segmentation and monitoring of administrative endpoints can help detect unauthorized access attempts. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of regular security audits and the implementation of security-by-design principles in plugin development, as outlined in OWASP Top 10 security requirements for web applications. Administrators should also consider implementing multi-factor authentication and role-based access controls to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation attempts.