CVE-2023-35051
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes a missing authorization vulnerability in the Contact Forms by Cimatti WordPress plugin that allows attackers to bypass access controls. Attackers can exploit incorrectly configured security levels to perform unauthorized actions. All WordPress sites using Contact Forms by Cimatti versions up to 1.5.7 are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- Contact Forms by Cimatti WordPress Plugin
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Attackers could modify form submissions, access sensitive form data, or manipulate form configurations without authentication.
Likely Case
Unauthorized users accessing or modifying form data they shouldn't have access to, potentially exposing PII or other sensitive information.
If Mitigated
With proper authorization controls, only authenticated users with appropriate permissions can access form data and functionality.
🎯 Exploit Status
Missing authorization vulnerabilities typically require minimal technical skill to exploit once the attack vector is identified.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 1.5.8 or later
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Log into WordPress admin panel
2. Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins
3. Find 'Contact Forms by Cimatti'
4. Click 'Update Now' if update is available
5. If no update appears, manually download version 1.5.8+ from WordPress.org
6. Deactivate and delete old version
7. Upload and activate new version
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable Plugin
allTemporarily disable the vulnerable plugin until patched
wp plugin deactivate contact-forms-by-cimatti
Restrict Access
allImplement IP whitelisting or additional authentication layers for form endpoints
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to block unauthorized access to plugin endpoints
- Monitor access logs for unusual patterns of requests to contact form endpoints
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check WordPress admin panel > Plugins > Installed Plugins for 'Contact Forms by Cimatti' version 1.5.7 or earlierCheck Version:
wp plugin get contact-forms-by-cimatti --field=versionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify plugin version is 1.5.8 or later in WordPress admin panel📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unauthorized POST/GET requests to /wp-content/plugins/contact-forms-by-cimatti/ endpoints
- Multiple failed authentication attempts followed by successful form access
Network Indicators:
- Unusual traffic patterns to contact form endpoints from unauthenticated sources
SIEM Query:
source="wordpress.log" AND (uri_path="/wp-content/plugins/contact-forms-by-cimatti/" OR plugin="contact-forms-by-cimatti") AND (response_code=200 OR response_code=302) AND user="-"