CVE-2022-3911 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

A security vulnerability has been identified in the iubenda WordPress plugin, specifically affecting versions below 3.3.3. This vulnerability could allow authenticated users to escalate their privileges, granting themselves unauthorized access.

Understanding CVE-2022-3911

This CVE highlights a privilege escalation issue in the iubenda plugin that can lead to significant security risks for websites utilizing this plugin.

What is CVE-2022-3911?

The iubenda WordPress plugin version prior to 3.3.3 lacks proper authorization and Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) protection in an AJAX action. This oversight allows authenticated users, even subscribers, to elevate their privileges by granting themselves unauthorized access.

The Impact of CVE-2022-3911

The vulnerability poses a significant threat as it enables any authenticated user to potentially gain admin-level privileges, such as edit_plugins, leading to unauthorized actions and data breaches on the affected website.

Technical Details of CVE-2022-3911

This section provides deeper insights into the vulnerability, including its description, affected systems and versions, and the exploitation mechanism.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability arises from a lack of proper authorization and CSRF protection in the iubenda plugin's AJAX action, allowing any authenticated user to grant themselves unauthorized privileges within the plugin.

Affected Systems and Versions

The vulnerability affects versions of the iubenda plugin that are below 3.3.3. Websites using versions earlier than this are at risk of privilege escalation by authenticated users.

Exploitation Mechanism

Through exploiting the lack of proper authorization and CSRF protection, any authenticated user, such as subscribers, can abuse this vulnerability to bypass security measures and elevate their own privileges.

Mitigation and Prevention

To safeguard your website from CVE-2022-3911, certain immediate steps can be taken along with the adoption of long-term security practices and prompt patching and updates.

Immediate Steps to Take

Disable or remove the iubenda plugin if not essential for website operations.
Monitor user accounts and access levels to prevent unauthorized elevation of privileges.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly review and update all installed plugins to ensure they are running on the latest secure versions.
Educate users on safe practices and the importance of protecting their login credentials.

Patching and Updates

Keep an eye out for updates released by iubenda and promptly apply patches to mitigate the vulnerability and bolster the security of your website.