CVE-2023-7203: A Deep Dive into the Smart Forms WordPress Plugin Vulnerability and How to Mitigate Its Exploits

In today's digital landscape, WordPress has become a popular platform for people to share their ideas and content with the world. With over 60 million users, it's understandable that WordPress must consistently work to maintain a strong security posture. One way to do this is by identifying and patching vulnerabilities in any plugins used within the platform. This blog post covers a specific vulnerability in a widely used plugin called Smart Forms, diving deeper into the CVE-2023-7203 and what it means for both website owners and users alike.

Plugin Vulnerability Details

The Smart Forms WordPress plugin allows website administrators to create and manage various types of forms and fields, including contact forms, registration forms, and subscription forms. This plugin is quite popular, with over 50,000 websites using it worldwide.

However, prior to version 2.6.87, the plugin was found to have several vulnerabilities, as it did not include proper authorization in various AJAX actions. As a result, even users with a role as low as Subscriber could exploit these vulnerabilities, potentially deleting entries and manipulating data in unauthorized ways.

The plugin lacked sufficient Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) checks, enabling potential attackers to trick logged-in users into performing unwanted actions, including the deletion of entries. This vulnerability has been assigned the identifier CVE-2023-7203 by the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures system.

Consider the following code snippet

add_action('wp_ajax_nopriv_smart_forms_delete_form_values', 'smart_forms_restore_form');
add_action('wp_ajax_smart_forms_delete_form_values', 'smart_forms_restore_form');

function smart_forms_restore_form(){
    CheckIfUserCanManageSmartForms('');
    $encodedArray=$_POST['form_values'];
    $decodedArray=json_decode($encodedArray);
    $form_id=get_latest_smart_form_id();
    for($i=;$i<count($decodedArray);$i++){
        if(!is_null($decodedArray[$i]->{"value"})){
            insert_entry($form_id,$decodedArray[$i]->{"value"});
        }
    }
    die();
}

In this code snippet, the smart_forms_restore_form() function is designed to delete form values by restoring the last saved version. However, the function lacks authorization and CSRF checks that ensure only authorized users and requests can execute the function.

With this vulnerable plugin installed, an attacker could create a malicious link or submit a form with malicious content, leading to the CSRF exploit. The targeted user would unknowingly execute unwanted actions, such as deleting or modifying form entries.

Original References

1. Smart Forms Wordpress Plugin Changelog
2. National Vulnerability Database- NVD

Mitigation and recommendations

To mitigate the risks associated with this vulnerability, users should update the Smart Forms plugin to version 2.6.87 or later. By doing this, the necessary authorization and CSRF checks will be implemented, preventing unauthorized individuals from performing actions they should not have access to.

Furthermore, website owners and administrators should consistently review and update their plugins and WordPress core to ensure they are running the most secure version available. Regular updates, coupled with proper website security measures such as HTTPS and two-factor authentication, can significantly reduce the chances of a successful attack.

In conclusion, the Smart Forms WordPress plugin vulnerability (CVE-2023-7203) highlights the importance of consistent software updates and security-minded practices. By staying informed about potential vulnerabilities and updating plugins and WordPress core, website owners can greatly decrease the likelihood of suffering a security breach.

Timeline

Published on: 02/27/2024 09:15:37 UTC
Last modified on: 02/27/2024 14:20:06 UTC