CVE-2023-47237
📋 TL;DR
This CSRF vulnerability in the Auto Publish for Google My Business WordPress plugin allows attackers to trick authenticated administrators into performing unintended actions. Attackers can force admins to change plugin settings or potentially connect malicious Google accounts when they visit specially crafted pages. WordPress sites using vulnerable plugin versions are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- Auto Publish for Google My Business WordPress plugin
📦 What is this software?
Auto Publish For Google My Business by Auto Publish For Google My Business Project
View all CVEs affecting Auto Publish For Google My Business →
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Attackers could connect malicious Google accounts to the site, potentially enabling content manipulation, data exfiltration, or using the site's Google My Business account for malicious purposes.
Likely Case
Attackers modify plugin settings, disrupt Google My Business integration, or force unwanted content publication.
If Mitigated
With proper CSRF protections and admin awareness, exploitation attempts fail or have minimal impact.
🎯 Exploit Status
CSRF exploits are typically simple to weaponize once details are known.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: > 3.7
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Log into WordPress admin panel. 2. Go to Plugins → Installed Plugins. 3. Find 'Auto Publish for Google My Business'. 4. Click 'Update Now' if available. 5. If no update appears, manually download latest version from WordPress repository and replace plugin files.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Temporary Plugin Deactivation
allDisable the vulnerable plugin until patched.
wp plugin deactivate wp-google-my-business-auto-publish
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement CSRF tokens manually in plugin code or use WordPress security plugins that add CSRF protection.
- Restrict admin access to trusted networks only and educate administrators about CSRF risks.
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check WordPress admin → Plugins → Auto Publish for Google My Business → Version. If version is 3.7 or lower, you are vulnerable.Check Version:
wp plugin get wp-google-my-business-auto-publish --field=versionVerify Fix Applied:
After update, verify plugin version is higher than 3.7 in WordPress admin panel.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual plugin setting changes in WordPress logs
- Multiple failed CSRF token validations
Network Indicators:
- HTTP POST requests to plugin admin endpoints without proper referrer headers
SIEM Query:
source="wordpress" AND (plugin="wp-google-my-business-auto-publish" AND action="update")🔗 References
- https://patchstack.com/database/vulnerability/wp-google-my-business-auto-publish/wordpress-auto-publish-for-google-my-business-plugin-3-7-cross-site-request-forgery-csrf-vulnerability?_s_id=cve
- https://patchstack.com/database/vulnerability/wp-google-my-business-auto-publish/wordpress-auto-publish-for-google-my-business-plugin-3-7-cross-site-request-forgery-csrf-vulnerability?_s_id=cve
