Password Reset with Code for WordPress REST API <= 0.0.15 - Weak Password Recovery Mechanism

Weak Password Recovery Mechanism for Forgotten Password
CVE CVE-2023-35039
CVSS Critical (9.8)
Publicly Published August 14, 2023
Last Updated January 22, 2024
Researcher Jonas Höbenreich
Description

The Password Reset with Code for WordPress REST API is vulnerable to a Weak Password Recovery Mechanism in versions up to, and including, 0.0.15. This allows unauthenticated attackers to set a 4-digit password recovery code for arbitrary users that, if guessed correctly, will allow them to reset the password for that user. Although each code is only allowed 3 tries by default, there is no restriction on the number of code generation attempts allowed, effectively reducing the entropy of the password reset mechanism to 4 digits. Additionally the code generation mechanism uses str_shuffle which does not use a cryptographically secure PNRG.

References

1 affected software package

Software Type Plugin
Software Slug bdvs-password-reset (view on wordpress.org)
Patched? Yes
Affected Version
  • <= 0.0.15
Patched Version
  • 0.0.16
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