CVE-2023-52176
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes an authentication bypass vulnerability in the miniorange Malware Scanner WordPress plugin that allows attackers to spoof IP addresses and bypass access control restrictions. It affects all versions up to 4.7.1, potentially allowing unauthorized access to administrative functionality.
💻 Affected Systems
- miniorange Malware Scanner 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 could gain administrative access to the WordPress malware scanning functionality, potentially disabling security controls or accessing sensitive system information.
Likely Case
Unauthorized users could bypass IP-based restrictions to access administrative features of the malware scanner plugin.
If Mitigated
With proper network segmentation and additional authentication layers, impact would be limited to the specific plugin functionality.
🎯 Exploit Status
The vulnerability involves IP spoofing to bypass ACLs, which is relatively straightforward for attackers with network access.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 4.7.2 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://patchstack.com/database/vulnerability/miniorange-malware-protection/wordpress-malware-scanner-plugin-4-7-1-ip-restriction-bypass-vulnerability
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Log into WordPress admin panel. 2. Navigate to Plugins. 3. Find 'Malware Scanner by miniOrange'. 4. Click 'Update Now' if available. 5. Alternatively, download version 4.7.2+ from WordPress repository and manually update.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable Plugin
allTemporarily disable the vulnerable plugin until patched
wp plugin deactivate miniorange-malware-protection
Network ACL Restriction
allImplement network-level access controls to restrict access to WordPress admin interface
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block IP spoofing attempts
- Add additional authentication factor for accessing malware scanner functionality
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check WordPress admin panel > Plugins > Malware Scanner by miniOrange > Version. If version is 4.7.1 or earlier, system is vulnerable.Check Version:
wp plugin get miniorange-malware-protection --field=versionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify plugin version is 4.7.2 or later in WordPress admin panel.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual IP addresses accessing /wp-admin/admin.php?page=mo_malware_scanner
- Failed authentication attempts from unexpected locations
Network Indicators:
- HTTP requests with spoofed X-Forwarded-For headers to WordPress admin endpoints
- Unusual traffic patterns to malware scanner endpoints
SIEM Query:
source="wordpress.log" AND (uri_path="/wp-admin/admin.php?page=mo_malware_scanner" OR plugin="miniorange-malware-protection")🔗 References
- https://patchstack.com/database/vulnerability/miniorange-malware-protection/wordpress-malware-scanner-plugin-4-7-1-ip-restriction-bypass-vulnerability?_s_id=cve
- https://patchstack.com/database/vulnerability/miniorange-malware-protection/wordpress-malware-scanner-plugin-4-7-1-ip-restriction-bypass-vulnerability?_s_id=cve
