CVE-2023-5559 Scanner

10Web Booster is a WordPress plugin widely used by WordPress site owners to optimize and accelerate website performance. The plugin is sought after for its ability to enhance page loading speeds and overall user experience. Webmasters and developers often employ 10Web Booster to leverage its comprehensive suite of performance-enhancing tools. Its ease of use and compatibility with a range of WordPress themes and environments make it a popular choice across various industry domains. As a critical component for optimizing website efficiency, maintaining its security is of paramount importance. Ensuring the plugin operates without vulnerabilities is essential for safeguarding the websites it supports.

The vulnerability detected in 10Web Booster allows unauthorized users to delete arbitrary options from the database without proper validation. This exploitation can be performed using certain AJAX actions within the plugin, bypassing authentication requirements. The flaw arises from insufficient input validation, allowing any option name to be manipulated and deleted. Unauthorized deletions can disrupt the normal functioning of the WordPress site, directly leading to denial of service. The severity of this vulnerability is accentuated by its potential impact on site availability and data integrity. Addressing this flaw is crucial to prevent unexpected outages and maintain site trustworthiness.

Technical details of the vulnerability indicate that the arbitrary option deletion is conducted via AJAX calls made to specific endpoints within the 10Web Booster plugin. The endpoints lack necessary authentication checks, allowing external inputs to influence database operations. Attackers can craft specific requests to these vulnerable endpoints to modify database entries unduly. Specifically, the lack of validation in AJAX actions opens a direct channel for unauthorized database manipulation. The vulnerable end points are typically accessed through HTTP requests that are not properly secured, providing a straightforward attack vector. Fixing these vulnerabilities requires updating the plugin to implement robust input validation mechanisms.

Exploitation of this vulnerability can lead to severe service disruption for WordPress sites using the 10Web Booster plugin. Potential effects include unintended option deletions rendering sites partially or completely inoperative. The downtime not only affects user access but can also impact revenue, especially for e-commerce platforms relying on constant availability. Moreover, exploitation undermines data integrity and user trust, possibly leading to a reputational decline. Recovering from these incidents often involves significant time and resource allocations. By targeting system configurations, malicious actors could precipitate a comprehensive service failure.

REFERENCES

• https://wpscan.com/vulnerability/eba46f7d-e4db-400c-8032-015f21087bbf/
• https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-5559