CVE-2023-6584 in WP JobSearch Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 02/27/2024
The WP JobSearch WordPress plugin before 2.3.4 does not prevent attackers from logging-in as any users with the only knowledge of that user's email address.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/27/2024
The WP JobSearch WordPress plugin vulnerability CVE-2023-6584 represents a critical authentication bypass flaw that undermines the security posture of WordPress installations. This vulnerability affects versions prior to 2.3.4 and allows attackers to exploit a weakness in the plugin's user authentication mechanism. The flaw specifically enables unauthorized access to user accounts when attackers possess only the target user's email address, eliminating the need for legitimate credentials or additional attack vectors. This issue directly impacts the plugin's ability to maintain secure user sessions and protect against unauthorized access attempts.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from improper validation and authentication checks within the plugin's login functionality. The flaw allows attackers to manipulate the authentication process by leveraging the email address field as a means to gain access to any user account registered within the system. This type of vulnerability typically falls under CWE-287 which addresses improper authentication issues, and more specifically aligns with CWE-305 which deals with authentication bypass through multiple factors. The implementation appears to lack proper access controls and validation mechanisms that should verify legitimate user credentials before granting access to protected resources.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risk for organizations relying on the WP JobSearch plugin for job board functionality. Attackers can exploit this weakness to gain unauthorized access to user accounts including administrators, job seekers, and employers who may have different privilege levels within the system. The impact extends beyond simple unauthorized access as it potentially allows for data manipulation, information disclosure, and privilege escalation attacks. This vulnerability can be leveraged as an initial access point in broader attack campaigns and represents a critical weakness that could lead to complete system compromise. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that email addresses are often publicly available or easily obtained through social engineering techniques.
The mitigation strategy for this vulnerability requires immediate patching of the WP JobSearch plugin to version 2.3.4 or later, which contains the necessary fixes to address the authentication bypass flaw. Organizations should also implement additional security measures such as multi-factor authentication, monitoring for unusual login patterns, and regular security audits of installed plugins. From a defensive standpoint, this vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and authentication controls as outlined in the ATT&CK framework under the T1110 technique for credential access. Security teams should also consider implementing network-based intrusion detection systems to monitor for exploitation attempts and establish incident response procedures specifically addressing authentication bypass vulnerabilities. The remediation process should include thorough testing of the updated plugin to ensure no regressions in functionality while maintaining the security enhancements that address the specific flaw.