CVE-2023-25473 : Security Advisory and Response

This CVE-2023-25473 was published on July 18, 2023, by Patchstack. The vulnerability affects the Flickr Justified Gallery plugin for WordPress, specifically versions equal to or less than 3.5. It is classified as a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability with a CVSSv3.1 base score of 5.4, indicating a medium severity level.

Understanding CVE-2023-25473

This section will delve into the details of CVE-2023-25473, outlining what the vulnerability entails and its potential impact.

What is CVE-2023-25473?

CVE-2023-25473 is a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability found in the Miro Mannino Flickr Justified Gallery plugin for WordPress versions 3.5 and below. This type of vulnerability allows attackers to perform malicious actions on behalf of authenticated users without their consent or knowledge.

The Impact of CVE-2023-25473

The impact of this vulnerability can result in attackers tricking users into executing unauthorized actions, potentially leading to data manipulation, unauthorized transactions, or other harmful activities.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-25473

In this section, we will explore the technical aspects of CVE-2023-25473, including a description of the vulnerability, affected systems and versions, as well as the exploitation mechanism.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability in the Miro Mannino Flickr Justified Gallery plugin allows for Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) attacks to be carried out on websites using affected versions of the plugin. This could enable attackers to manipulate user actions without their consent.

Affected Systems and Versions

The vulnerability impacts WordPress websites utilizing the Flickr Justified Gallery plugin with versions equal to or less than 3.5. Sites running these versions are susceptible to CSRF attacks exploiting this security flaw.

Exploitation Mechanism

Exploiting CVE-2023-25473 involves crafting malicious requests that are automatically executed when an authenticated user visits a specially crafted webpage. This can lead to the execution of unauthorized actions within the user's session.

Mitigation and Prevention

To safeguard systems from CVE-2023-25473 and mitigate the risk posed by this vulnerability, certain security measures need to be implemented.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update the Miro Mannino Flickr Justified Gallery plugin to a version beyond 3.5 or apply any available patches provided by the vendor.
Monitor and audit user actions on affected websites to detect any unauthorized activities.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implement security best practices such as input validation and output encoding to mitigate the risk of CSRF attacks.
Educate users on safe browsing habits and the importance of verifying actions before executing them.

Patching and Updates

Regularly check for security updates and patches released by plugin vendors and apply them promptly to ensure that vulnerabilities like CVE-2023-25473 are addressed to enhance system security.