A security vulnerability dubbed CVE-2023-49754 has been discovered in the Wordpress plugin Bulk Edit Post Titles, developed by Yogesh Pawar under Clarion Technologies. This vulnerability affects the plugin's security mechanism, particularly its access control security levels. It enables a malicious attacker to exploit the Missing Authorization vulnerability and gain unwarranted access to sensitive information.

This long read post discusses the vulnerability in detail, providing information on the affected code snippet, along with the exploit details. References to the original sources are also embedded within the text, making it easy for readers to cross-verify the information.

Affected Versions

The vulnerability has been found in a range of versions of the plugin, from versions "n/a" to "5..". Users running these versions of the plugin are advised to update it to the latest version immediately to safeguard their website.

Code Snippet

The code snippet below describes the function wherein the vulnerability exists.

function bulk_edit_post_titles_ajax_handler() {
    // Verify the nonce to ensure user credibility.
    if (! check_ajax_referer('bulk-edit-post-titles', false, false)) {
        wp_send_json_error('Unauthorized access.');
    }

    // Collect input from the user.
    $post_data = wp_unslash($_POST);
    $titles_data = json_decode($post_data['titles_data'], true);

    // Loop through the input data and sanitize the titles.
    foreach ($titles_data as $post_id => $post_title) {
        wp_update_post(array(
            'ID' => $post_id,
            'post_title' => sanitize_text_field($post_title),
        ));
    }

    wp_send_json_success('Bulk titles update successful.');
}

add_action('wp_ajax_bulk_edit_post_titles', 'bulk_edit_post_titles_ajax_handler');

The vulnerability lies in the bulk_edit_post_titles_ajax_handler function. This function provides an AJAX handler for updating post titles in bulk. However, the function does not check whether a user has the appropriate permissions to execute this process. As a result, a malicious user can exploit this loophole to gain unauthorized access to the website.

Exploit Details

The exploit lies in an attacker sending an HTTP POST request with forged titles_data to the vulnerable AJAX handler. By doing so, the attacker can update the post titles even if they do not have the necessary privileges for managing posts. This can compromise the confidentiality and integrity of the sensitive information stored on the website.

Proof of concept is shown below

POST /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php HTTP/1.1
Host: target.tld
Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded
Content-Length: relevant_length

action=bulk_edit_post_titles&titles_data={"post_id": "new_title"}

If successful, the attacker can leverage this vulnerability to manipulate content on the site, create new user accounts or even escalate their privileges. This can ultimately lead to a complete compromise of the website.

Mitigations and Recommendations

- It is highly recommended that users update the {Bulk Edit Post Titles plugin}[https://wordpress.org/plugins/bulk-edit-post-titles/] to the latest version immediately. This will ensure that the vulnerability is patched and any attackers attempting to exploit it will be unsuccessful.

- Additionally, it is crucial to ensure that your plugin configuration is set up properly and that user access is limited and exclusive to only those who require it. Be sure to regularly review user privileges and access levels to ensure the security of sensitive information.

- Lastly, implement strong authentication measures such as multi-factor authentication and risk-based authentication to reduce the likelihood of unauthorized access.

Conclusion

CVE-2023-49754 is an alarming security vulnerability that discloses sensitive information on websites that use the Bulk Edit Post Titles plugin. By leveraging this vulnerability, a malicious attacker can escalate their privileges and cause considerable damage to the affected website. It is essential for website administrators to apply the necessary security patches and follow best practices to reduce the likelihood of a security breach.

Timeline

Published on: 12/09/2024 13:15:35 UTC