CVE-2023-0484 – This CSRF vulnerability in Contact Form 7 Widge... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2023-0484?

CVE-2023-0484 has a CVSS score of 4.3 (MEDIUM). This CSRF vulnerability in Contact Form 7 Widget For Elementor Page Builder & Gutenberg Blocks WordPress plugin allows attackers to trick logged-in administrators into activating arbitrary plugins on the WordPress site. Only WordPress sites using vulnerable versions of this specific plugin are affected.

📋 TL;DR

This CSRF vulnerability in Contact Form 7 Widget For Elementor Page Builder & Gutenberg Blocks WordPress plugin allows attackers to trick logged-in administrators into activating arbitrary plugins on the WordPress site. Only WordPress sites using vulnerable versions of this specific plugin are affected.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Contact Form 7 Widget For Elementor Page Builder & Gutenberg Blocks WordPress plugin

Versions: All versions before 1.1.6

Operating Systems: All operating systems running WordPress

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Requires WordPress installation with the vulnerable plugin and an authenticated admin user who can be tricked into clicking a malicious link.

📦 What is this software?

Contact Form 7 Widget For Elementor Page Builder \& Gutenberg Blocks by Hasthemes

View all CVEs affecting Contact Form 7 Widget For Elementor Page Builder \& Gutenberg Blocks →

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Attackers could activate malicious plugins that contain backdoors, ransomware, or other harmful code, potentially leading to complete site compromise.

🟠

Likely Case

Attackers activate plugins that create admin accounts, inject malicious code, or redirect traffic, leading to defacement or data theft.

🟢

If Mitigated

With proper CSRF protections and admin awareness, exploitation attempts fail or are detected before causing damage.

🌐 Internet-Facing: MEDIUM

🏢 Internal Only: LOW

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: UNKNOWN

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: LOW

Exploitation requires social engineering to trick an admin into clicking a malicious link while authenticated.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: 1.1.6

Vendor Advisory: https://wpscan.com/vulnerability/e61fb245-0d7f-42b0-9b96-c17ade8c04c5

Restart Required: No

Instructions:

1. Log into WordPress admin panel. 2. Go to Plugins → Installed Plugins. 3. Find 'Contact Form 7 Widget For Elementor Page Builder & Gutenberg Blocks'. 4. Click 'Update Now' if available, or manually update to version 1.1.6 or later.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Temporary Plugin Deactivation

all

Deactivate the vulnerable plugin until patched.

wp plugin deactivate contact-form-7-widget-elementor

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Implement CSRF protection at web application firewall level
Educate administrators about phishing risks and require separate admin accounts

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check WordPress admin panel → Plugins → Installed Plugins for 'Contact Form 7 Widget For Elementor Page Builder & Gutenberg Blocks' version.

Check Version:

wp plugin get contact-form-7-widget-elementor --field=version

Verify Fix Applied:

Confirm plugin version is 1.1.6 or higher in WordPress admin.

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Unexpected plugin activation events in WordPress logs
Admin user activating plugins from unusual IP addresses

Network Indicators:

HTTP POST requests to /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php with plugin activation actions

SIEM Query:

source="wordpress.log" AND "activated plugin" AND NOT user="expected_admin"

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2023-0484

CVSS v3 Score: 4.3 (MEDIUM)

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

Published: March 27, 2023

Last Updated: February 19, 2025

🔗 References

https://wpscan.com/vulnerability/e61fb245-0d7f-42b0-9b96-c17ade8c04c5 Exploit,Third Party Advisory
https://wpscan.com/vulnerability/e61fb245-0d7f-42b0-9b96-c17ade8c04c5 Exploit,Third Party Advisory

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