CVE-2023-22697
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes a missing authorization vulnerability in the Survey Maker WordPress plugin that allows attackers to bypass access controls. It affects all WordPress sites running Survey Maker versions up to 3.2.0, potentially allowing unauthorized access to survey data and administrative functions.
💻 Affected Systems
- Survey Maker WordPress Plugin
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Attackers could access, modify, or delete all survey data, manipulate survey results, or gain administrative privileges on the WordPress site.
Likely Case
Unauthorized users accessing survey data they shouldn't have permission to view, potentially exposing sensitive information collected through surveys.
If Mitigated
Proper access controls would prevent unauthorized access, limiting users to only the survey data they're authorized to view.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires some level of access but doesn't require authentication to the vulnerable endpoints.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 3.2.1
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Log into WordPress admin panel
2. Navigate to Plugins → Installed Plugins
3. Find Survey Maker plugin
4. Click 'Update Now' if update is available
5. Alternatively, download version 3.2.1+ from WordPress repository and manually update
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable Survey Maker Plugin
allTemporarily disable the vulnerable plugin until patched
wp plugin deactivate survey-maker
Restrict Access via Web Application Firewall
allBlock access to Survey Maker endpoints except for authorized users
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict network segmentation to isolate WordPress installation
- Apply principle of least privilege to WordPress user accounts and database permissions
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check WordPress admin panel → Plugins → Survey Maker version. If version is 3.2.0 or lower, system is vulnerable.Check Version:
wp plugin get survey-maker --field=versionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify Survey Maker plugin version is 3.2.1 or higher in WordPress admin panel.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unauthorized access attempts to /wp-content/plugins/survey-maker/ endpoints
- Multiple failed authorization attempts followed by successful access to survey data
Network Indicators:
- Unusual traffic patterns to Survey Maker API endpoints from unauthorized IPs
- Requests bypassing normal authentication flows
SIEM Query:
source="wordpress.log" AND ("survey-maker" OR "survey_maker") AND ("unauthorized" OR "access denied" OR "permission")