PublishPress Capabilities – User Role Access…: Deserialization of Untrusted Data
CVE-2022-3366 is a high-severity deserialization of untrusted data vulnerability in PublishPress Capabilities – User Role Access, Editor Permissions, Admin Menus, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.2 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an attacker with administrator privileges, without any action from a user. The record lists version 2.5.2 as the first without the flaw, so updating PublishPress Capabilities – User Role Access, Editor Permissions, Admin Menus to that release or later removes the exposure. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 1.49% chance of exploitation within 30 days, higher than 74% of scored CVEs.
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Update PublishPress Capabilities – User Role Access, Editor Permissions, Admin Menus to 2.5.2 or a later version.
- Update PublishPress Capabilities Pro to 2.5.2 or a later version.
- Update Capabilities to 2.5.2 or a later version.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| PublishPress Capabilities – User Role Access, Editor Permissions, Admin Menus | PublishPress Capabilities – User Role Access, Editor Permissions, Admin Menus | 2.5.2 up to, but not including, 2.5.2 | 2.5.2 |
| PublishPress Capabilities Pro | PublishPress Capabilities Pro | 2.5.2 up to, but not including, 2.5.2 | 2.5.2 |
| Publishpress | Capabilities | before 2.5.2 | 2.5.2 |
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
- HighAdministrator-level access is required first.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Scope
- UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
- Confidentiality
- HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
- Integrity
- HighData or code can be modified at will.
- Availability
- HighThe component can be taken down completely.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by NVD.
| Scoring system | Score | Severity | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.2 | High | NVD |
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.2 | High | CISA (ADP) |
Official description
The PublishPress Capabilities WordPress plugin before 2.5.2, PublishPress Capabilities Pro WordPress plugin before 2.5.2 unserializes the content of imported files, which could lead to PHP object injection attacks by administrators, on multisite WordPress configurations. Successful exploitation in this case requires other plugins with a suitable gadget chain to be present on the site.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Deserialization of Untrusted Data
The product deserializes untrusted data without sufficiently ensuring that the resulting data will be valid.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- If available, use the signing/sealing features of the programming language to assure that deserialized data has not been tainted. For example, a hash-based message authentication code (HMAC) could be used to ensure that data has not been modified.
- When deserializing data, populate a new object rather than just deserializing. The result is that the data flows through safe input validation and that the functions are safe.
- Explicitly define a final object() to prevent deserialization.
More Deserialization of Untrusted Data vulnerabilities (CWE-502)
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: poc, automatable: no, technical impact: total).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Technical write-ups (may include proof of concept)
- wpscan.com/vulnerability/72639924-e7a7-4f7d-bd50-015d05ffd4fbExploit, Third Party Advisory
Recent Deserialization of Untrusted Data vulnerabilities
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 7.2 High severity
- 7.2 High severity
- 8.1 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
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