CVE-2023-47188 - Missing Authorization Vulnerability in PressTigers Simple Job Board: Exploit Details and Remediation Steps

Attention to all users of the PressTigers Simple Job Board plugin! A recent vulnerability - CVE-2023-47188 - has been identified in versions prior to 2.10.5. This missing authorization vulnerability allows attackers to exploit incorrectly configured access control security levels, potentially leading to unauthorized access and modifications on your job board. In this post, we will go in-depth into understanding the vulnerability, providing code snippets for reference and presenting steps to mitigate the issue.

Vulnerability Details

The PressTigers Simple Job Board has a missing authorization vulnerability affecting versions prior to 2.10.5. The plugin fails to properly implement access control, granting unauthorized users the ability to perform unintended actions on the platform.

Imagine an attacker gaining access to the job board's settings or adding their own job listings. The consequences could be severe, from leaked sensitive data to reputation damage for the targeted company.

A proof of concept for this issue can be seen in the following code snippet, where the insufficient authorization check is apparent:

function ajaxurl() {
    echo admin_url('admin-ajax.php');
}

add_filter('wp_head', 'ajaxurl');

By not implementing stricter access controls within the plugin, unauthorized users can exploit admin-ajax.php to perform various actions on the job board, such as modifying or removing content.

Original References

This vulnerability was identified and reported by security researchers. You can find the original advisories and related information at these sources:

- CVE-2023-47188 Official CVE Entry
- PressTigers Simple Job Board Plugin Vulnerability Details
- WPScan Vulnerability Database

Fixing the Issue

To address this vulnerability, PressTigers have released version 2.10.6 of the Simple Job Board plugin. Users of previous versions are advised to update the plugin immediately. The updated version can be downloaded from the WordPress Plugin Repository.

After updating the plugin, ensure the following changes have been made in the plugin code to properly restrict access:

function ajaxurl() {
    if( current_user_can( 'manage_options' ) ) {
        echo admin_url('admin-ajax.php');
    }
}

add_filter('wp_head', 'ajaxurl');

The above code snippet showcases an essential modification that checks for proper user permissions before granting access to the admin-ajax.php resource.

Conclusion

To protect your website and job board from the CVE-2023-47188 vulnerability, it is vital to immediately update the PressTigers Simple Job Board plugin to version 2.10.6 or higher. By doing so, you will be fixing the missing authorization vulnerability and ensuring that only authorized users can perform actions within your platform.

Moreover, it is highly recommended to follow good security practices when configuring your website plugins and monitoring for regular updates. Stay vigilant, and keep your website secure against future vulnerabilities!

Timeline

Published on: 01/02/2025 12:15:15 UTC