CVE-2023-23704 : Exploit Details and Defense Strategies

This CVE, assigned by Patchstack, was published on July 11, 2023, and involves a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in the Pixelgrade Comments Ratings plugin version 1.1.6 and below.

Understanding CVE-2023-23704

This vulnerability poses a medium risk level with a CVSSv3.1 base score of 4.3. It can allow attackers to carry out Cross-Site Request Forgery attacks on affected systems.

What is CVE-2023-23704?

CVE-2023-23704 is a security vulnerability in the Comments Ratings plugin for WordPress, specifically affecting versions 1.1.6 and earlier. The vulnerability enables malicious actors to execute CSRF attacks, potentially leading to unauthorized actions being performed on behalf of authenticated users.

The Impact of CVE-2023-23704

The impact of this vulnerability is significant as it can result in unauthorized actions being carried out on affected systems through CSRF attacks. This could potentially lead to data manipulation or unauthorized access to sensitive information.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-23704

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-352 (Cross-Site Request Forgery) and is also associated with CAPEC-62 (Cross Site Request Forgery).

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability in the Comments Ratings plugin allows for Cross-Site Request Forgery attacks, which can be exploited by threat actors to manipulate user actions without their consent.

Affected Systems and Versions

The affected product is the Comments Ratings plugin by Pixelgrade, specifically versions equal to or below 1.1.6.

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability can be exploited through crafted web requests that trick authenticated users into executing unintended actions on the application.

Mitigation and Prevention

It is crucial for users to take immediate steps to mitigate the risk posed by CVE-2023-23704 and prevent any potential exploitation of the vulnerability.

Immediate Steps to Take

Users are advised to update the Comments Ratings plugin to version 1.1.7 or higher to address the CSRF vulnerability and protect their systems from potential attacks.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implementing secure coding practices, regular security audits, and staying informed about security patches for plugins can help prevent similar vulnerabilities in the future.

Patching and Updates

Regularly updating plugins and software to the latest versions, along with monitoring security advisories, is essential to maintaining a secure WordPress environment and safeguarding against known vulnerabilities.