CVE-2023-37984
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes a missing authorization vulnerability in the WordPress Quiz And Survey Master plugin that allows attackers to bypass access controls. Attackers can exploit incorrectly configured security levels to perform unauthorized actions. All WordPress sites running vulnerable versions of this plugin are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- WordPress Quiz And Survey Master plugin
⚠️ Manual Verification Required
This CVE does not have specific version information in our database, so automatic vulnerability detection cannot determine if your system is affected.
Why? The CVE database entry doesn't specify which versions are vulnerable (no version ranges provided by the vendor/NVD).
🔒 Custom verification scripts are available for registered users. Sign up free to download automated test scripts.
- Review the CVE details at NVD
- Check vendor security advisories for your specific version
- Test if the vulnerability is exploitable in your environment
- Consider updating to the latest version as a precaution
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Attackers could modify quiz/survey results, access sensitive user data, or manipulate plugin settings to compromise site integrity.
Likely Case
Unauthorized users could view or modify quiz/survey content they shouldn't have access to, potentially exposing sensitive information or disrupting functionality.
If Mitigated
With proper access controls and authentication checks, impact would be limited to authorized users only performing intended actions.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires some level of access but bypasses authorization checks. No public exploit code identified.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 8.1.11 or later
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Log into WordPress admin panel. 2. Navigate to Plugins → Installed Plugins. 3. Find 'Quiz And Survey Master'. 4. Click 'Update Now' if available. 5. Alternatively, download version 8.1.11+ from WordPress repository and manually update.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable vulnerable plugin
allTemporarily deactivate the Quiz And Survey Master plugin until patched
wp plugin deactivate quiz-master-next
Restrict plugin access
allUse WordPress role/capability plugins to restrict access to quiz/survey management functions
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict access controls using WordPress user roles and capabilities
- Monitor plugin activity logs for unauthorized access attempts
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check WordPress admin → Plugins → Quiz And Survey Master → Version. If version is 8.1.10 or earlier, you are vulnerable.Check Version:
wp plugin get quiz-master-next --field=versionVerify Fix Applied:
After updating, verify version shows 8.1.11 or later in WordPress plugins list.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unauthorized access attempts to quiz/survey admin endpoints
- Unexpected modifications to quiz/survey content
Network Indicators:
- HTTP requests to /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php with quiz/survey related actions from unauthorized IPs
SIEM Query:
source="wordpress" AND (uri_path="/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php" AND action CONTAINS "qsm") AND user_role!="administrator"