CVE-2023-6501 in Splashscreen Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 02/12/2024
The Splashscreen WordPress plugin through 0.20 does not have CSRF check in place when updating its settings, which could allow attackers to make a logged in admin change them via a CSRF attack
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/20/2025
The Splashscreen WordPress plugin version 0.20 contains a critical security vulnerability that stems from the absence of Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) protection mechanisms within its administrative settings update functionality. This flaw represents a significant weakness in the plugin's security architecture, as it fails to implement proper validation of the origin and authenticity of administrative requests. The vulnerability specifically affects the plugin's ability to verify that requests to modify its configuration parameters are legitimate and originate from authorized administrators rather than malicious actors who have compromised a victim's session.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability lies in the plugin's failure to incorporate CSRF tokens or similar validation mechanisms when processing administrative updates. When an administrator navigates to the plugin's settings page and submits changes, the system should validate that the request comes from a legitimate source within the same session and context. Without this protection, attackers can craft malicious web pages or exploit existing vulnerabilities in other parts of the WordPress installation to trick administrators into executing unauthorized configuration changes. This type of attack falls under the category of session hijacking and privilege escalation attacks, where attackers leverage the administrator's authenticated session to perform actions they would not normally be authorized to execute.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple configuration changes, as it provides attackers with a potential foothold for further compromise within the WordPress environment. An attacker who successfully executes a CSRF attack against the Splashscreen plugin could modify splash screen settings to redirect users to malicious domains, inject harmful scripts, or alter the plugin's behavior in ways that could facilitate more sophisticated attacks. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates silently in the background, allowing attackers to make changes without the administrator's knowledge or consent, effectively creating a persistent backdoor or attack vector within the site's configuration management system.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery issues in web applications. The flaw also corresponds to techniques documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the T1078 credential access and T1546 persistence categories, as it enables attackers to manipulate system configurations and potentially establish long-term access. Organizations running affected versions of the Splashscreen plugin should immediately implement mitigation strategies including updating to the latest available version, implementing proper CSRF protection mechanisms, and conducting comprehensive security audits of their WordPress installations. The vulnerability underscores the critical importance of proper input validation and authentication mechanisms in web applications, particularly those handling administrative functions, and serves as a reminder of the necessity for regular security assessments and patch management processes to maintain robust cybersecurity postures.