CVE-2023-6883 in Easy Social Feed Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 01/11/2024
The Easy Social Feed plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized modification of data due to a missing capability check on multiple AJAX functions in all versions up to, and including, 6.5.2. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with subscriber-level access and above, to perform unauthorized actions, such as modifying the plugin's Facebook and Instagram access tokens and updating group IDs.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/11/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-6883 affects the Easy Social Feed plugin for WordPress, representing a critical authorization flaw that undermines the integrity of social media integration features. This issue stems from insufficient capability validation within the plugin's AJAX endpoints, creating a pathway for malicious actors to exploit their authenticated access privileges. The vulnerability specifically impacts all versions of the plugin up to and including version 6.5.2, making it a widespread concern for WordPress installations that rely on this social feed functionality. The flaw allows attackers with subscriber-level permissions or higher to manipulate core plugin configurations without proper authorization, fundamentally compromising the security model of the affected system.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability resides in the plugin's AJAX handling mechanisms where multiple endpoints lack proper capability checks before executing sensitive operations. When authenticated users submit requests through these AJAX functions, the system fails to verify whether the requesting user possesses the necessary administrative privileges to modify critical configuration parameters. This absence of authorization validation creates a direct attack vector where malicious users can modify Facebook and Instagram access tokens, which serve as the primary authentication credentials for social media integration. Additionally, the vulnerability extends to updating group IDs, which can alter the scope and visibility of social media content being displayed on the website. The flaw aligns with CWE-863, which addresses "Incorrect Authorization" issues where the system fails to properly verify that an actor is authorized to perform a requested action, and represents a clear violation of the principle of least privilege in security design.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data modification, as it enables attackers to potentially compromise the entire social media integration ecosystem of a WordPress site. By manipulating access tokens, attackers can gain unauthorized access to social media accounts, potentially leading to data breaches, unauthorized content posting, or complete account takeovers. The ability to modify group IDs allows malicious actors to redirect social media content to unintended audiences or remove access to specific content groups. This vulnerability particularly affects organizations that rely heavily on social media integration for marketing, customer engagement, or content distribution, as it provides a stealthy method for attackers to maintain persistent access to social media accounts without triggering immediate detection mechanisms. The impact is further exacerbated by the fact that the vulnerability affects authenticated users, meaning that attackers can exploit it through compromised user accounts or by escalating privileges from lower-level access.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-6883 should prioritize immediate plugin updates to versions that address the missing capability checks, as this represents the most direct solution to the vulnerability. Organizations should also implement additional monitoring of AJAX endpoints for unusual activity patterns and consider implementing role-based access controls that further restrict what actions authenticated users can perform within the plugin interface. Network-level monitoring tools should be configured to detect anomalous requests to social media token endpoints, and regular security audits should verify that all plugin components properly validate user capabilities before executing privileged operations. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of implementing proper input validation and capability checks in web applications, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts as a means of gaining access to systems. Organizations should also consider implementing multi-factor authentication for administrative accounts and establishing regular security assessments to identify similar authorization flaws in other plugins or custom code components.