CVE-2023-7074 in WP Social Bookmark Menu Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 01/29/2024
The WP SOCIAL BOOKMARK MENU WordPress plugin through 1.2 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 • 01/29/2024
The vulnerability in the WP SOCIAL BOOKMARK MENU WordPress plugin version 1.2 represents a critical security flaw that undermines the integrity of administrative functions within WordPress environments. This issue stems from the complete absence of Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) protection mechanisms when processing configuration updates, creating an exploitable vector that allows attackers to manipulate plugin settings without proper authorization. The vulnerability specifically affects the plugin's administrative interface where users with administrator privileges can be tricked into executing unintended actions through maliciously crafted requests.
The technical nature of this flaw aligns with CWE-352, which defines Cross-Site Request Forgery as a security weakness that occurs when a web application fails to verify that requests originate from legitimate sources. In this case, the plugin does not implement any form of anti-CSRF token validation or request origin verification when processing setting modifications through its administrative panel. Attackers can leverage this weakness by crafting malicious web pages or embedding payloads within compromised websites that automatically submit requests to the vulnerable plugin's update endpoints, thereby enabling unauthorized configuration changes while users remain logged into their WordPress administration panels.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple configuration alterations and poses significant risks to overall system security and integrity. When attackers successfully execute CSRF attacks against the plugin, they can modify social bookmarking menu configurations to redirect traffic to malicious domains, inject harmful scripts, or alter plugin behavior in ways that could compromise user data or facilitate further exploitation attempts. The attack vector requires minimal sophistication since it relies on the victim's authenticated session rather than requiring additional credentials or complex exploitation techniques. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where administrators frequently browse untrusted websites or where users may inadvertently interact with malicious content.
From a defensive perspective, this vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of implementing comprehensive security controls within WordPress plugins, especially those that handle administrative functions and user data modifications. The recommended mitigation strategies include immediate implementation of anti-CSRF tokens for all administrative operations, proper validation of request origins through referer headers or custom headers, and regular security audits of plugin code to identify similar vulnerabilities. Organizations should also ensure that all WordPress plugins are regularly updated to their latest versions where such protections have been implemented. This vulnerability serves as a reminder of the fundamental security principles outlined in the OWASP Top Ten, particularly the importance of protecting against CSRF attacks as part of comprehensive web application security practices. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this type of vulnerability under the T1213 technique for Data from Information Repositories, as it provides attackers with access to administrative capabilities that can be leveraged to modify system configurations and potentially gain persistent access to affected environments.