CVE-2022-1969 – This CSRF vulnerability in the Mobile browser c... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2022-1969?

CVE-2022-1969 has a CVSS score of 8.8 (HIGH). This CSRF vulnerability in the Mobile browser color select WordPress plugin allows attackers to inject malicious scripts by tricking administrators into clicking malicious links. It affects all WordPress sites using plugin versions up to 1.0.1. The vulnerability exists due to missing nonce validation in the admin_update_data() function.

📋 TL;DR

This CSRF vulnerability in the Mobile browser color select WordPress plugin allows attackers to inject malicious scripts by tricking administrators into clicking malicious links. It affects all WordPress sites using plugin versions up to 1.0.1. The vulnerability exists due to missing nonce validation in the admin_update_data() function.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

WordPress Mobile browser color select plugin

Versions: All versions up to and including 1.0.1

Operating Systems: All operating systems running WordPress

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Requires WordPress installation with the vulnerable plugin activated. The plugin must be installed and active for exploitation.

📦 What is this software?

Mobile Browser Color Select by Script

View all CVEs affecting Mobile Browser Color Select →

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Attackers could inject persistent malicious scripts that compromise the entire WordPress site, potentially leading to data theft, defacement, or complete site takeover.

🟠

Likely Case

Attackers inject malicious JavaScript that steals administrator credentials or session cookies, leading to unauthorized administrative access.

🟢

If Mitigated

With proper CSRF protections and user awareness, exploitation attempts fail as administrators don't click malicious links.

🌐 Internet-Facing: HIGH

🏢 Internal Only: LOW

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: LIKELY

Unauthenticated Exploit: ⚠️ Yes

Complexity: LOW

Exploitation requires social engineering to trick administrators into clicking malicious links. No authentication required for the CSRF attack itself.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: 1.0.2 or later

Vendor Advisory: https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/mobile-browser-color-select/trunk/mobile-browser-color-select.php

Restart Required: No

Instructions:

1. Log into WordPress admin panel. 2. Navigate to Plugins → Installed Plugins. 3. Find 'Mobile browser color select' plugin. 4. Click 'Update Now' if available. 5. Alternatively, delete the plugin and install the latest version from WordPress repository.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable the vulnerable plugin

all

Temporarily deactivate the Mobile browser color select plugin until patched

wp plugin deactivate mobile-browser-color-select

Implement CSRF protection middleware

all

Add WordPress nonce validation to all admin actions

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Implement strict Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to limit script execution
Use browser extensions that block CSRF attempts and educate administrators about phishing risks

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check WordPress admin panel → Plugins → Mobile browser color select → Version number. If version is 1.0.1 or lower, you are vulnerable.

Check Version:

wp plugin get mobile-browser-color-select --field=version

Verify Fix Applied:

After updating, verify plugin version shows 1.0.2 or higher in WordPress admin plugins page.

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Unusual POST requests to /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php with action=admin_update_data
Multiple failed CSRF validation attempts in WordPress logs

Network Indicators:

Unexpected outbound connections from WordPress server after administrator actions
Suspicious referrer headers in requests

SIEM Query:

source="wordpress.log" AND "admin_update_data" AND NOT "_wpnonce"

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2022-1969

CVSS v3 Score: 8.8 (HIGH)

CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CWE: CWE-352

Published: June 13, 2022

Last Updated: May 5, 2025

🔗 References

https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/mobile-browser-color-select/trunk/mobile-browser-color-select.php#L62 Product
https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/687cd0ac-5f78-4429-b6b5-dd1113143a4d?source=cve Third Party Advisory
https://www.wordfence.com/vulnerability-advisories/#CVE-2022-1969 Third Party Advisory
https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/mobile-browser-color-select/trunk/mobile-browser-color-select.php#L62 Product
https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/687cd0ac-5f78-4429-b6b5-dd1113143a4d?source=cve Third Party Advisory
https://www.wordfence.com/vulnerability-advisories/#CVE-2022-1969 Third Party Advisory

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🔗 Related Vulnerabilities

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