A recently identified security vulnerability, CVE-2023-44472, has been discovered in ThemeFuse's popular Unyson framework, used as the backbone for many WordPress themes. This vulnerability affects Unyson from an unspecified version up through version 2.7.28 and could potentially leave sites powered by the framework exposed to unauthorized access.

What is Unyson?

ThemeFuse Unyson is a powerful free open-source framework that helps developers create outstanding custom WordPress themes with ease. It provides a variety of tools including a drag-and-drop page builder, various extensions, and an impressive set of options to help create a unique and feature-rich design. Unyson has a large user base and is maintained by ThemeFuse, a reputable company in the WordPress theme industry. You can find more information about Unyson here.

Description of CVE-2023-44472

The CVE-2023-44472 vulnerability stems from a lack of proper authorization checks in Unyson's AJAX API endpoints. This allows an attacker to perform unauthorized functions on a WordPress site without the need for log-in credentials.

This missing authorization check can lead to the unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information, unauthorized modification of site content, and may even result in the compromise of an entire WordPress site.

In order to fully understand the impact of the vulnerability, let's explore an example of the affected code:

function _action_theme_name_admin_ajax() {
    if (current_user_can('manage_options')) {
        wp_die('Unauthorized access', '403 Forbidden', array('response' => 403));
    }
    
    // Process requests and execute actions...
}

As can be seen from the code snippet above, authorization checks should ideally be placed around the AJAX API endpoints, but they are not present, leaving the framework open to unauthorized access.

Exploit Details

The vulnerability can be exploited by sending a malicious AJAX request to the vulnerable API endpoint that takes advantage of the missing authorization checks. The following steps outline how the exploit may be executed:

1. Identify a vulnerable Unyson installation by checking the version number. If your installation is version 2.7.28 or earlier, you are potentially at risk.
2. Craft an AJAX request targeting the vulnerable API endpoint. This could be done using various tools such as the browser developer console, curl, or even a custom script.
3. Send the malicious AJAX request to the targeted WordPress site powered by Unyson. Successful execution of the request may result in unauthorized access to site content, unauthorized modifications, or potential compromise of the entire site.

To mitigate the effects of the CVE-2023-44472 vulnerability, the following steps should be taken

1. Update to the latest version of Unyson that contains a fix for the vulnerability. At the time of writing, the most recent version is 2.7.29 which can be found here.

Conclusion

CVE-2023-44472 highlights the importance of proper authorization checks in any web application, particularly when using third-party frameworks such as Unyson. By staying informed about common security vulnerabilities and regularly updating your software to the latest versions, you can minimize the risk to your WordPress site and keep it safe from potential attacks.

Timeline

Published on: 05/03/2024 08:15:06 UTC
Last modified on: 06/17/2024 20:47:44 UTC