CVE-2023-45009
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability allows attackers to bypass CAPTCHA protection in the Contact Form 7 plugin for WordPress by exploiting improper rate limiting on authentication attempts. It affects all WordPress sites using the Captcha/Honeypot for Contact Form 7 plugin version 1.11.3 and earlier. Attackers can submit form spam or potentially exploit other vulnerabilities if the CAPTCHA was the primary protection mechanism.
💻 Affected Systems
- Captcha/Honeypot for Contact Form 7 WordPress 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 bypass CAPTCHA protection entirely, enabling automated form spam, credential stuffing attacks on forms, or exploitation of other vulnerabilities that CAPTCHA was meant to prevent.
Likely Case
Automated spam submissions through contact forms, potentially leading to data exfiltration, phishing attempts, or denial of service through form flooding.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if other security controls like web application firewalls, rate limiting at the web server level, or additional authentication layers are in place.
🎯 Exploit Status
The vulnerability is in authentication attempt restriction, making exploitation straightforward for automated tools.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 1.11.4 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://patchstack.com/database/vulnerability/captcha-for-contact-form-7/wordpress-captcha-for-contact-form-7-plugin-1-11-3-capcha-bypass-vulnerability
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Log into WordPress admin panel. 2. Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins. 3. Find 'Captcha/Honeypot for Contact Form 7'. 4. Click 'Update Now' if available, or manually update to version 1.11.4+. 5. Verify the plugin version after update.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Temporary Plugin Deactivation
allDisable the vulnerable plugin until patched, but this removes CAPTCHA protection entirely.
Web Application Firewall Rules
allImplement rate limiting rules at the WAF level for contact form submissions.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement server-side rate limiting for all form submissions using web server configuration or security plugins.
- Add additional form validation layers such as honeypot fields, time-based submission delays, or custom validation logic.
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check WordPress admin > Plugins > Installed Plugins for 'Captcha/Honeypot for Contact Form 7' version. If version is 1.11.3 or lower, you are vulnerable.Check Version:
wp plugin list --name='captcha-for-contact-form-7' --field=versionVerify Fix Applied:
After updating, verify the plugin shows version 1.11.4 or higher in WordPress admin.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusually high volume of contact form submissions from single IPs
- Form submissions bypassing CAPTCHA validation
Network Indicators:
- Repeated POST requests to contact form endpoints with minimal time intervals
SIEM Query:
source="wordpress" AND (event="form_submission" OR event="contact_form") AND rate_threshold>10_per_minute🔗 References
- https://patchstack.com/database/vulnerability/captcha-for-contact-form-7/wordpress-captcha-for-contact-form-7-plugin-1-11-3-capcha-bypass-vulnerability?_s_id=cve
- https://patchstack.com/database/vulnerability/captcha-for-contact-form-7/wordpress-captcha-for-contact-form-7-plugin-1-11-3-capcha-bypass-vulnerability?_s_id=cve
