CVE-2024-1416 in Responsive Contact Form Builder & Lead Generation Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 05/02/2024
The Responsive Contact Form Builder & Lead Generation Plugin plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized access to functionality due to a missing capability check on several functions in all versions up to, and including, 1.8.9. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to invoke those functions.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/16/2024
The Responsive Contact Form Builder & Lead Generation Plugin for WordPress represents a widely used tool for creating contact forms and collecting lead information within the WordPress ecosystem. This plugin facilitates the creation of various contact forms and integrates with multiple third-party services for lead generation purposes. The vulnerability identified in this plugin stems from inadequate access control mechanisms that fail to properly validate user permissions before executing sensitive operations. The flaw affects all versions up to and including 1.8.9, indicating a long-standing issue that has persisted across multiple releases without proper remediation.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability manifests through the absence of capability checks on critical functions within the plugin's codebase. This missing validation allows unauthenticated attackers to directly invoke administrative functions that should only be accessible to authorized users with appropriate privileges. The flaw essentially creates an access control bypass where any visitor to the website can potentially trigger functionality that should be restricted to administrators or authorized personnel. This type of vulnerability directly maps to CWE-284 Access Control Issues, specifically targeting insufficient access control mechanisms that permit unauthorized access to protected resources.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it creates a pathway for attackers to manipulate the plugin's functionality without authentication. Unauthenticated attackers could potentially access form submissions, modify form configurations, or even exploit the lead generation capabilities for malicious purposes such as data harvesting or spam injection. The vulnerability's scope encompasses all functions within the plugin that lack proper capability verification, making it a comprehensive access control weakness that affects the entire plugin surface area. This type of vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 Valid Accounts, as it enables attackers to leverage the plugin's functionality without requiring valid user credentials.
The security implications of this vulnerability are particularly concerning given the plugin's role in lead generation and contact form management. Attackers could potentially harvest contact information from form submissions, manipulate form data, or even inject malicious content through the exposed functions. The lack of authentication checks means that any user with access to the website can exploit these functions, creating a significant risk for organizations relying on the plugin for customer data collection. This vulnerability represents a critical weakness in the plugin's security architecture and highlights the importance of proper input validation and access control implementation in WordPress plugins. Organizations using this plugin should immediately implement mitigations such as disabling the vulnerable plugin until a patch is available, implementing additional authentication layers, or applying custom code modifications to enforce proper capability checks. The vulnerability underscores the necessity for regular security audits of WordPress plugins and the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date software versions to protect against known exploitation vectors.