Very Simple Contact Form: Improper Authentication
CVE-2022-1801 is a high-severity improper authentication vulnerability in Very Simple Contact Form, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.5 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an unauthenticated attacker, without any action from a user. The record lists version 11.6 as the first without the flaw, so updating Very Simple Contact Form to that release or later removes the exposure. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 1.26% chance of exploitation within 30 days, higher than 70% of scored CVEs.
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Update Very Simple Contact Form to 11.6 or a later version.
- Until you can update, restrict network access to the affected service so it is not reachable from untrusted networks.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Very Simple Contact Form | Very Simple Contact Form | 11.6 up to, but not including, 11.6 | 11.6 |
Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.
How the severity score breaks down
- Attack vector
- NetworkCan be exploited remotely over a network, including the internet.
- Attack complexity
- LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
- Privileges required
- NoneNo account or login is needed.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Scope
- UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
- Confidentiality
- NoneNo data is disclosed.
- Integrity
- HighData or code can be modified at will.
- Availability
- NoneAvailability is not affected.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N. Scored by NVD.
| Scoring system | Score | Severity | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.5 | High | NVD |
| CVSS 2.0 | 5.0 | Medium | NVD |
Official description
The Very Simple Contact Form WordPress plugin before 11.6 exposes the solution to the captcha in the rendered contact form, both as hidden input fields and as plain text in the page, making it very easy for bots to bypass the captcha check, rendering the page a likely target for spam bots.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Improper Authentication
When an actor claims to have a given identity, the product does not prove or insufficiently proves that the claim is correct.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- Use an authentication framework or library such as the OWASP ESAPI Authentication feature.
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Technical write-ups (may include proof of concept)
- wpscan.com/vulnerability/a5c97809-2ffc-4efb-8c80-1b734361cd06Exploit, Third Party Advisory
Recent Improper Authentication vulnerabilities
- 7.5 High severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 7.8 High severity
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