Subscriber-level plugin installation via unchecked AJAX handler
Published Dec 12, 2022 · Updated Apr 22, 2025
Incorrect authorization in Bill Minozzi Anti Hacker before 4.20 allows remote authenticated users to install plugins via AJAX. The antihacker_install_plugin() handler accepts a requested WordPress.org plugin slug without a capability check or CSRF protection. Subscriber-level access is enough, and successful use changes site code by installing and activating the chosen repository plugin.
Summary
What happened
Incorrect authorization in Bill Minozzi Anti Hacker before 4.20 allows remote authenticated users to install plugins via AJAX. The antihacker_install_plugin() handler accepts a requested WordPress.org plugin slug without a capability check or CSRF protection. Subscriber-level access is enough, and successful use changes site code by installing and activating the chosen repository plugin.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2022-3880
- Published
- Dec 12, 2022
- Updated
- Apr 22, 2025
- Vendor
- Bill Minozzi
- Product
- Anti Hacker
- Classifications
- CWE-863, CWE-352, T1190
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Dec 12, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Apr 22, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.
Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=0 <4.20
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- WPScan subscriber AJAX proof of conceptproof of concept · demonstrated
Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.
Technologies
Your stack
See the directory against your own environment.
Your stack
Check the software in your environment
Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.
Book a demo