WPForms – Easy Form Builder for WordPress Technology Detection Scanner

WPForms is a popular plugin for WordPress that allows users to easily create and manage forms on their websites. It is widely used by bloggers, businesses, and developers to gather information from site visitors through contact forms, payment forms, surveys, and other means. The plugin provides a user-friendly interface that simplifies the form-building process, making it accessible even for those with limited technical expertise. WPForms is trusted by millions of users, ranging from small personal blogs to large corporate websites, due to its reliability and feature-rich design. It integrates seamlessly with various email marketing services and payment gateways, providing a comprehensive solution for online forms. This plug-in helps in enhancing user experience on WordPress sites by making form creation intuitive and efficient.

The vulnerability detected in WPForms relates to its version identification mechanism. This allows users to assess whether they are using the latest, secure version of the plugin or an outdated version that may be susceptible to security issues. The detection process identifies the stable tag version from the plugin's readme file, providing crucial information for maintaining WordPress site security. While this information by itself does not pose a direct threat, failing to update outdated versions can leave the site open to known vulnerabilities that have already been fixed in newer releases. Users benefit from this detection by being able to proactively update and secure their plugins as part of regular maintenance. Regular checks and updates are critical components of website security management to prevent exploitation of vulnerabilities.

Technical details of this vulnerability revolve around the extraction and comparison of version tags within the WPForms plugin files. By utilizing specific regex patterns, the scanner identifies and extracts the stable tag version from the plugin's readme files. This version is then compared against a list of known secure versions to flag any outdated installations. This approach helps in maintaining plugin integrity and shielding the WordPress website from potential attacks that target known issues in older plugin versions. Ensuring that the plugins are up-to-date minimizes the risk associated with deprecated software versions. The scanner operates by examining the HTTP response and parsing the body content to locate and extract the relevant version details.

The exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when hackers take advantage of outdated software that may contain security holes due to neglected updates. Such exploitation can lead to unauthorized access, data theft, or injection of malicious code, potentially disrupting website operations and compromising user data. Outdated plugins may also serve as entry points for larger attacks on the hosting environment, affecting not only the individual site but possibly other sites on the shared server. Keeping plugins updated mitigates these risks by ensuring that all known vulnerabilities are addressed, thus maintaining the website's operational security. Regular detection and updates bolster the overall security posture of a WordPress site.

REFERENCES

• https://wordpress.org/plugins/wpforms-lite/
• https://wpscan.com/plugin/wpforms-lite