Plugin activation via missing CSRF nonce validation
Published Mar 27, 2023 · Updated Feb 19, 2025
CSRF in HasThemes WP Plugin Manager before 1.1.8 allows remote attackers to activate installed plugins through an administrator's session. The plugin_activation handler accepts an attacker-selected plugin location through wppluginmanager_ajax_plugin_activation without validating a nonce. Exploitation requires a logged-in administrator to follow a malicious link, and the bounded consequence is activation of a plugin already installed on the site.
Summary
What happened
CSRF in HasThemes WP Plugin Manager before 1.1.8 allows remote attackers to activate installed plugins through an administrator's session. The plugin_activation handler accepts an attacker-selected plugin location through wppluginmanager_ajax_plugin_activation without validating a nonce. Exploitation requires a logged-in administrator to follow a malicious link, and the bounded consequence is activation of a plugin already installed on the site.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2023-1088
- Published
- Mar 27, 2023
- Updated
- Feb 19, 2025
- Vendor
- HasThemes
- Product
- WP Plugin Manager
- Classifications
- CWE-352, T1204
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Mar 27, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Feb 19, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=0 <1.1.8
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.
Public exploit references
- WPScan admin-ajax plugin-activation proof of conceptproof of concept · demonstrated
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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