CVE-2023-25989 : Exploit Details and Defense Strategies

This CVE, assigned by Patchstack, was published on October 3, 2023. It addresses a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability found in multiple WordPress plugins created by Meks.

Understanding CVE-2023-25989

This vulnerability affects various plugins developed by Meks and could lead to a CSRF attack resulting in dismissals or pop-ups on affected websites.

What is CVE-2023-25989?

The CVE-2023-25989 refers to a CSRF vulnerability found in plugins such as Meks Video Importer, Meks Time Ago, Meks ThemeForest Smart Widget, Meks Smart Author Widget, Meks Audio Player, Meks Easy Maps, Meks Easy Photo Feed Widget, Meks Simple Flickr Widget, Meks Easy Ads Widget, and Meks Smart Social Widget.

The Impact of CVE-2023-25989

The impact of this vulnerability could allow an attacker to carry out CSRF attacks, potentially leading to unauthorized actions on the affected WordPress websites.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-25989

This vulnerability has a CVSSv3 base score of 4.3, indicating a medium severity issue with low attack complexity and requirement for user interaction.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability enables attackers to execute CSRF attacks on websites utilizing the vulnerable Meks plugins.

Affected Systems and Versions

Meks Video Importer (<= 1.0.10)
Meks Time Ago (<= 1.1.6)
Meks ThemeForest Smart Widget (<= 1.4)
Meks Smart Author Widget (<= 1.1.3)
Meks Audio Player (<= 1.2)
Meks Easy Maps (<= 2.1.3)
Meks Easy Photo Feed Widget (<= 1.2.7)
Meks Simple Flickr Widget (<= 1.2)
Meks Easy Ads Widget (<= 2.0.7)
Meks Smart Social Widget (<= 1.6)

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability can be exploited through crafted web requests that manipulate users' actions without their consent, potentially leading to security breaches.

Mitigation and Prevention

It is crucial to take immediate steps to secure your WordPress websites using the affected Meks plugins and establish long-term security practices to prevent such vulnerabilities in the future.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update the Meks plugins to the following versions or higher:

Meks Video Importer to 1.0.11
Meks Time Ago to 1.1.7
Meks ThemeForest Smart Widget to 1.5
Meks Smart Author Widget to 1.1.4
Meks Audio Player to 1.3
Meks Easy Maps to 2.1.4
Meks Easy Photo Feed Widget to 1.2.8
Meks Simple Flickr Widget to 1.3
Meks Easy Ads Widget to 2.0.8
Meks Smart Social Widget to 1.6.1

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update plugins, themes, and the WordPress core, monitor security advisories, and implement web application firewalls to enhance security posture.

Patching and Updates

Ensure that all Meks plugins are promptly updated to their latest versions to mitigate the CSRF vulnerability and secure your WordPress websites from potential attacks.