CyberSecBulletin
CVE-2023-3222NVD status: Modified

Password Recovery Plugin: Weak Password Recovery Mechanism for Forgotten Password

CVE-2023-3222 is a high-severity weak password recovery mechanism for forgotten password vulnerability in Password Recovery Plugin from AlfnRU, 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. Affected Password Recovery Plugin versions: 1.2. The record does not name a fixed version, so check the vendor advisory. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.67% chance of exploitation within 30 days, higher than 53% of scored CVEs.

Next patch cycle

High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.

What to do

  1. Check which version of Password Recovery Plugin you run against the affected versions below, and install the vendor's latest release.
  2. Until you can update, restrict network access to the affected service so it is not reachable from untrusted networks.

Affected products and versions

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed in
AlfnRUPassword Recovery Plugin1.2Not stated
Password Recovery ProjectPassword Recovery1.2Not stated

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 systemScoreSeverityScored by
CVSS 3.17.5HighCNA (incibe.es)
CVSS 3.17.5HighNVD

Official description

Vulnerability in the password recovery mechanism of Password Recovery plugin for Roundcube, in its 1.2 version, which could allow a remote attacker to change an existing user´s password by adding a 6-digit numeric token. An attacker could create an automatic script to test all possible values because the platform has no limit on the number of requests.

Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.

The underlying weakness: Weak Password Recovery Mechanism for Forgotten Password

The product contains a mechanism for users to recover or change their passwords without knowing the original password, but the mechanism is weak.

How developers prevent this class of flaw

  • Make sure that all input supplied by the user to the password recovery mechanism is thoroughly filtered and validated.
  • Do not use standard weak security questions and use several security questions.
  • Make sure that there is throttling on the number of incorrect answers to a security question. Disable the password recovery functionality after a certain (small) number of incorrect guesses.

More Weak Password Recovery Mechanism for Forgotten Password vulnerabilities (CWE-640)

Timeline

  1. CVE record published.
  2. CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: yes, technical impact: partial).
  3. Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).

References

Recent Weak Password Recovery Mechanism for Forgotten Password vulnerabilities

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