A newly identified vulnerability known as CVE-2023-48288 has been discovered in the HM Plugin WordPress Job Board and Recruitment Plugin – JobWP. This vulnerability is classified as an Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor and may allow malicious attackers to access critical user data and sensitive information. This issue affects WordPress Job Board and Recruitment Plugin – JobWP ranging from unspecified versions up to version 2.1. In this long-read post, we will provide you with all the details on this vulnerability, including code snippets, links to the original references, and details on the exploit.

Vulnerability Overview

This vulnerability is caused by inadequate security measures and improper handling of user data and sensitive information in the WordPress plugin JobWP. This flaw could potentially allow an attacker to compromise user accounts, gather personal data, and gain unauthorized access to other parts of the application, potentially causing further damage.

Exploit Details

Upon analysis, it has been found that the vulnerability lies in the way JobWP handles Ajax requests. Specifically, the use of nonces (a security token used to verify the origin of a request) is improper, leading to potential misuse by unauthorized actors.

Let's take a look at the code snippet, illustrating the vulnerability

add_action( 'wp_ajax_jobwp_save_data', 'jobwp_save_data' ); 
add_action( 'wp_ajax_nopriv_jobwp_save_data', 'jobwp_save_data' );

function jobwp_save_data() {
  if ( isset( $_POST['jobwp_nonce'] ) && wp_verify_nonce( $_POST['jobwp_nonce'], 'jobwp_nonce_action' ) ) {
    // Process the data, as the nonce is verifying the request
    ...
  }
}

The issue here is the use of 'wp_ajax_nopriv' action hook, which allows unauthenticated users to execute the 'jobwp_save_data' function. This means even if a user hasn't logged into the application, they can still perform actions as if they are valid users.

Official References

The vulnerability, CVE-2023-48288, has been documented and discussed in the following official sources:

- CVE official entry: https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2023-48288
- The Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) score of 7.5: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-48288
- National Vulnerability Database (NVD) entry: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-48288

Mitigation Steps

It is highly recommended for users of the WordPress Job Board and Recruitment Plugin – JobWP to take the following steps:

1. Update to version 2.1 (or higher) as soon as it is available. This version is expected to contain a fix for the vulnerability. You can find the plugin's latest version here: https://wordpress.org/plugins/jobwp/
2. Limit user access to the WordPress admin dashboard and restrict permission to users that require it for their tasks.
3. Employ proper security measures like strong passwords and regular updates of WordPress itself, themes, and all other plugins.

Regularly monitor your website for suspicious activity and react promptly to any detected threats.

In conclusion, the CVE-2023-48288 vulnerability exposes sensitive information to unauthorized actors in the HM Plugin WordPress Job Board and Recruitment Plugin – JobWP. We urge users of the plugin to take the necessary steps to safeguard their website, user data, and sensitive information to prevent potential exploits and data breaches.

Stay safe, and always be cautious with your WordPress installations. Remember, cybersecurity is not a one-time task, but a continuous process of ensuring the best protection for your users and yourself.

Timeline

Published on: 12/21/2023 14:15:08 UTC
Last modified on: 12/29/2023 03:27:57 UTC