CVE-2023-2297
📋 TL;DR
The Profile Builder WordPress plugin up to version 3.9.0 uses plaintext password reset keys instead of hashed values, allowing attackers to reset user passwords without authorization. This vulnerability can be exploited via SQL injection or other vulnerabilities to achieve account takeover. All WordPress sites using vulnerable versions of this plugin are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- Profile Builder – User Profile & User Registration Forms WordPress plugin
📦 What is this software?
Profile Builder by Cozmoslabs
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete site compromise through administrator account takeover, leading to data theft, defacement, malware injection, or ransomware deployment.
Likely Case
Unauthorized password resets for regular users, leading to account hijacking, privilege escalation, and potential data exposure.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper network segmentation, strong authentication controls, and regular security monitoring in place.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires chaining with another vulnerability like CVE-2023-0814 or SQL injection to obtain the plaintext reset key. Once the key is obtained, exploitation is straightforward.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 3.9.1 and later
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Log into WordPress admin panel. 2. Navigate to Plugins → Installed Plugins. 3. Find Profile Builder plugin. 4. Click 'Update Now' if available, or manually update to version 3.9.1+. 5. Verify update completes successfully.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable vulnerable plugin
allTemporarily disable the Profile Builder plugin until patched
wp plugin deactivate profile-builder
Restrict access to password reset functionality
allUse web application firewall rules to block unauthorized password reset attempts
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strong network segmentation to isolate the WordPress instance
- Enable multi-factor authentication for all user accounts, especially administrators
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check WordPress admin panel → Plugins → Profile Builder version. If version is 3.9.0 or lower, the site is vulnerable.Check Version:
wp plugin get profile-builder --field=versionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify Profile Builder plugin version is 3.9.1 or higher in WordPress admin panel.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual password reset requests, especially for admin accounts
- Multiple failed login attempts followed by successful password reset
Network Indicators:
- Unusual traffic patterns to password reset endpoints
- Requests containing plaintext reset keys in parameters
SIEM Query:
source="wordpress" AND (event="password_reset" OR event="profile_builder_action") AND status="success"🔗 References
- https://lana.codes/lanavdb/512e7307-04a5-4d8b-8f79-f75f37784a9f/
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset?sfp_email=&sfph_mail=&reponame=&old=2864329%40profile-builder&new=2864329%40profile-builder&sfp_email=&sfph_mail=
- https://www.wordfence.com/blog/2023/03/vulnerability-patched-in-cozmolabs-profile-builder-plugin-information-disclosure-leads-to-account-takeover/
- https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/e731292a-4f95-46eb-889e-b00d58f3444e?source=cve
- https://lana.codes/lanavdb/512e7307-04a5-4d8b-8f79-f75f37784a9f/
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset?sfp_email=&sfph_mail=&reponame=&old=2864329%40profile-builder&new=2864329%40profile-builder&sfp_email=&sfph_mail=
- https://www.wordfence.com/blog/2023/03/vulnerability-patched-in-cozmolabs-profile-builder-plugin-information-disclosure-leads-to-account-takeover/
- https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/e731292a-4f95-46eb-889e-b00d58f3444e?source=cve
