A newly discovered vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-47647 affects the popular LearningTimes BadgeOS WordPress plugin, an open-source platform for issuing, earning, and sharing educational achievements in the form of digital badges. This vulnerability opens up a potential attack vector for unauthorized users to modify and manipulate user information, badges, and awards in the system, potentially leading to various security implications such as unauthorized rewards, tampering with user profiles, and even creating a backdoor for further attacks. The vulnerability affects BadgeOS versions through 3.7.1.6, and the plugin developers have since patched the issue in the latest version 3.7.1.7.

In this long read post, we will provide detailed information about the vulnerability, explain the code snippet that presents this problem, the consequences of exploiting the vulnerability, and links to the original references for further understanding.

Vulnerability Details

CVE ID: CVE-2023-47647
Affected Software: BadgeOS, developed by LearningTimes
Vulnerable Versions: Less than or equal to 3.7.1.6
Patched Version: 3.7.1.7
Type of Vulnerability: Missing Authorization
Potential Impact: Unauthorized users can exploit the access control mechanisms to tamper with user profiles and rewards, potentially leading to security issues and backdoor entry for further attacks.

Description of Vulnerability

The CVE-2023-47647 vulnerability lies within the BadgeOS plugin's code that handles the management and updating of user badges and rewards. Upon analyzing the plugin's code, it is evident that the plugin improperly implements access control mechanisms, leading to Missing Authorization vulnerability.

Code Snippet Illustrating the Vulnerability

In the vulnerable versions of BadgeOS, the following code snippet shows an example of improper access control mechanism implementation. In this piece of code, the plugin performs an AJAX request to update the user's badge information without checking if the request maker has the proper authorization to access the targeted user's data:

add_action( 'wp_ajax_badgeos_update_user_badge', 'badgeos_update_user_badge' );
function badgeos_update_user_badge() {
    $user_id = intval( $_POST['user_id'] );
    $badge_id = intval( $_POST['badge_id'] );

    if ( $user_id && $badge_id ) {
        badgeos_award_achievement_to_user( $badge_id, $user_id );
        echo "Success!";
    } else {
        echo "Error: Invalid user or badge ID.";
    }

    wp_die();
}

Exploiting this vulnerability allows an attacker to forge an unauthenticated request, which can result in unauthorized modifications to the affected user's profile or rewards.

Consequences of Exploiting the Vulnerability

Once an attacker successfully exploits this vulnerability, they can modify and manipulate user information, badges, and awards in the system. Some potential consequences include:

1. Unauthorized issuing/revoking of badges, discrediting earned achievements or falsely awarding badges.

Original References and Patch

Acknowledging this security vulnerability, the developers of BadgeOS have addressed the issue in their latest release, version 3.7.1.7. The following links point to the official patch notes, blog posts, and further discussions about the vulnerability:

1. BadgeOS Official Patch Release Notes: https://badgeos.org/version/3-7-1-7/
2. WordPress Plugin Directory - BadgeOS Changelog: https://wordpress.org/plugins/badgeos/#developers
3. CVE-2023-47647 MITRE Details: https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2023-47647

Conclusion

It is crucial for organizations and individuals who use LearningTimes BadgeOS to ensure that they have upgraded to the latest version, 3.7.1.7, which fixes the Missing Authorization vulnerability (CVE-2023-47647). Keeping software up-to-date, especially WordPress plugins, plays a vital role in maintaining the overall security and stability of your website or platform. Stay vigilant about software patches and keep an eye on updates related to security vulnerabilities to minimize any potential risks.

Timeline

Published on: 01/02/2025 12:15:16 UTC