CVE-2023-34182 – This CSRF vulnerability in the LH Password Chan... (How to Fix)

Q: How do I fix CVE-2023-34182?

1. Log into WordPress admin panel. 2. Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins. 3. Find 'LH Password Changer'. 4. Click 'Update Now' if available. 5. Alternatively, download version 1.56+ from WordPress repository and manually update.

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2023-34182?

CVE-2023-34182 has a CVSS score of 8.8 (HIGH). This CSRF vulnerability in the LH Password Changer WordPress plugin allows attackers to trick authenticated administrators into performing unauthorized password changes. It affects WordPress sites using the plugin version 1.55 or earlier. Attackers can exploit this to take over administrator accounts.

📋 TL;DR

This CSRF vulnerability in the LH Password Changer WordPress plugin allows attackers to trick authenticated administrators into performing unauthorized password changes. It affects WordPress sites using the plugin version 1.55 or earlier. Attackers can exploit this to take over administrator accounts.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

WordPress LH Password Changer plugin

Versions: <= 1.55

Operating Systems: All

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Requires WordPress installation with the vulnerable plugin activated. Administrator access needed for exploitation.

📦 What is this software?

Lh Password Changer by Shawfactor

View all CVEs affecting Lh Password Changer →

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Complete site takeover through administrator account compromise, leading to data theft, defacement, or malware injection.

🟠

Likely Case

Administrator account takeover allowing content manipulation, plugin/theme installation, or user privilege escalation.

🟢

If Mitigated

Limited impact if CSRF tokens are properly implemented or administrators use separate browser sessions for admin tasks.

🌐 Internet-Facing: HIGH

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: LIKELY

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: LOW

Exploitation requires tricking an authenticated administrator into clicking a malicious link or visiting a compromised page.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: 1.56 or later

Vendor Advisory: https://patchstack.com/database/vulnerability/lh-password-changer/wordpress-lh-password-changer-plugin-1-55-cross-site-request-forgery-csrf-vulnerability?_s_id=cve

Restart Required: No

Instructions:

1. Log into WordPress admin panel. 2. Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins. 3. Find 'LH Password Changer'. 4. Click 'Update Now' if available. 5. Alternatively, download version 1.56+ from WordPress repository and manually update.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable plugin

all

Temporarily disable the vulnerable plugin until patched

wp plugin deactivate lh-password-changer

Implement CSRF protection

all

Add custom CSRF tokens to plugin forms if source code access available

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Restrict admin access to trusted networks only
Use browser extensions that block CSRF attempts

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check WordPress admin panel > Plugins > Installed Plugins for LH Password Changer version

Check Version:

wp plugin get lh-password-changer --field=version

Verify Fix Applied:

Confirm plugin version is 1.56 or higher in WordPress admin

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Multiple password change attempts for admin accounts
Unusual admin activity from unexpected IPs

Network Indicators:

HTTP POST requests to /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php with password change parameters

SIEM Query:

source="wordpress.log" AND "action=change_password" AND "plugin=lh-password-changer"

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2023-34182

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: November 9, 2023

Last Updated: November 21, 2024

🔗 References

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🔗 Related Vulnerabilities

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