CVE-2023-49850: Missing Authorization Vulnerability in Ashish Ajani WP Simple HTML Sitemap Allows Exploiting Incorrectly Configured Access Control Security Levels, Affecting Versions Up To 2.7

A recently discovered security vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2023-49850, affects the Ashish Ajani WP Simple HTML Sitemap plugin, potentially allowing malicious actors to exploit unauthorized access to sensitive information. Since many WordPress websites rely on this plugin to create an easily navigable sitemap, this vulnerability can put a significant number of web administrators and their users at risk. This long-read post will delve deep into the details of this vulnerability, including code snippets, its exploitation, and potential mitigation steps.

Affected Versions

This vulnerability affects WP Simple HTML Sitemap plugin versions from n/a (not available) to 2.7.

Vulnerability Details

The core of this vulnerability lies in missing authorization controls when handling user requests. The plugin fails to properly verify if the user is authorized to access specific actions or resources. Consequently, attackers can exploit these insufficient access controls by sending specially crafted requests to gain unauthorized access to sensitive information or even perform potentially harmful actions.

Here's a simplified code snippet of the affected function in WP Simple HTML Sitemap

function handle_request() {
    global $wpdb;

    // Missing authorization check here
    // ...

    // Get sitemap parameters
    $settings = get_option('simple_html_sitemap_settings');
    $shortcode_atts = shortcode_atts(array(...), $settings);

    // Query database and generate sitemap
    $sitemap_data = get_sitemap($shortcode_atts);
    echo $sitemap_data;
}

The handle_request() function retrieves the sitemap parameters without checking if the user is authorized to do so. While this code snippet does not cover the entire plugin, it highlights the crucial missing check of user authorization.

Exploitation

To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker simply needs to send a crafted HTTP request to the affected function or endpoint. The attacker then receives the sitemap, possibly containing sensitive information.

For example, here is a sample HTTP request

GET /example-site/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php?action=ashish_ajani_sitemap_plugin_handle_request HTTP/1.1
Host: example-site.com
User-Agent: Mozilla/5. (compatible; Googlebot/2.1; +http://www.google.com/bot.html)
Accept-Language: en-US,en;q=.5

This request bypasses the missing authorization check, and as a result, the attacker can obtain sensitive sitemap information without proper access.

Mitigation and Recommendations

To resolve this vulnerability, the plugin developer should implement proper access control checks within the handle_request() function. Web administrators using this plugin should update to the latest version as soon as a security patch is available.

Until a patch is released, users can implement the following workarounds to reduce their risk

1. Limit access to the vulnerable function or endpoint, such as by using authentication and access control mechanisms.

Conclusion

With millions of users relying on WordPress and its vast library of plugins, it is crucial to stay informed about security vulnerabilities like CVE-2023-49850 in the WP Simple HTML Sitemap plugin. By understanding the exploit details, staying abreast of the latest security updates, and implementing risk mitigation strategies, web administrators can significantly improve the safety of their websites and protect their users' sensitive information.

Original References

- CVE : https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2023-49850
- WP Simple HTML Sitemap : https://wordpress.org/plugins/simple-html-sitemap/

Timeline

Published on: 12/09/2024 13:15:37 UTC