CVE-2023-49856
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2023-49856 is a missing authorization vulnerability in RedNao Smart Forms WordPress plugin that allows authenticated users to change arbitrary options without proper permissions. This affects all WordPress sites running Smart Forms versions up to 2.6.84. Attackers with any level of authenticated access can modify critical settings.
💻 Affected Systems
- RedNao Smart Forms WordPress Plugin
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
An attacker with any authenticated account (even subscriber role) could modify critical WordPress settings, inject malicious code, redirect traffic, or compromise the entire site.
Likely Case
Attackers with low-privilege accounts can change plugin settings, inject malicious scripts, or modify site behavior to enable further attacks.
If Mitigated
With proper access controls and least privilege principles, impact is limited to authorized changes only.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires any level of authenticated access. Public exploit details are available.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 2.6.85 or later
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Log into WordPress admin panel. 2. Navigate to Plugins → Installed Plugins. 3. Find Smart Forms plugin. 4. Click 'Update Now' if available. 5. Alternatively, download latest version from WordPress repository and replace plugin files.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable Plugin
allTemporarily disable the Smart Forms plugin until patched
wp plugin deactivate smart-forms
Restrict User Access
allLimit authenticated user accounts and implement strict role-based access controls
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to block unauthorized option modification requests
- Enable detailed logging of all plugin-related actions and monitor for suspicious changes
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check WordPress admin panel → Plugins → Installed Plugins → Smart Forms versionCheck Version:
wp plugin get smart-forms --field=versionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify plugin version is 2.6.85 or higher in WordPress admin📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unauthorized POST requests to smart-forms admin endpoints
- Unexpected changes to plugin settings or WordPress options
Network Indicators:
- POST requests to /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php with smart_forms_action parameters from low-privilege users
SIEM Query:
source="wordpress.log" AND (uri_path="/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php" AND parameters CONTAINS "smart_forms") AND user_role IN ("subscriber","contributor")