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GroundhoggWordPress extension

CVE-2023-2736

HIGH · 8.0 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-05-20
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 2.7.9.8 or later.
See remediation →
84/100
Remediation priority · High
Remotely reachable

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
The Groundhogg plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Cross-Site Request Forgery in versions up to, and including, 2.7.9.8. This is due to missing nonce validation in the 'ajax_edit_contact' function. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers to receive the auto login link via shortcode and then modify the assigned user to the auto login link to elevate verified user privileges via a forged request granted they can trick a site administrator into performing an action such as clicking on a link.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

The Groundhogg WordPress plugin lacks nonce validation in its ajax_edit_contact function, allowing authenticated attackers to forge requests that modify auto-login link assignments. By tricking an administrator into clicking a malicious link, an attacker can elevate a user's privileges to verified status through the auto-login shortcode mechanism.

MitigationUpdate the Groundhogg plugin to version 2.7.9.9 or later which includes proper nonce validation for the ajax_edit_contact function. Additionally, implement WordPress nonce checks and ensure admin users are cautious of clicking untrusted links.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
GroundhoggWordPress extension
Affected:<= 2.7.9.8

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify Groundhogg plugin installation and version
    In WordPress admin, go to Plugins > Installed Plugins and locate Groundhogg, or check the plugin header file groundhogg.php for the 'Version' constant. Also check /wp-content/plugins/groundhogg/groundhogg.php
    Affected if The installed version is 2.7.9.8 or lower
  2. Confirm the ajax_edit_contact function is present
    Inspect the file /wp-content/plugins/groundhogg/includes/functions/ajax.php or similar ajax handler files. Look for a function named 'ajax_edit_contact' that handles contact editing via AJAX without nonce verification
    Affected if The ajax_edit_contact function exists and lacks nonce validation checks (look for missing wp_verify_nonce or check_admin_referer calls)
  3. Check if auto-login shortcode is in use
    Search WordPress posts, pages, and widgets for the '[auto_login]' shortcode or similar Groundhogg auto-login functionality. Check the Groundhogg plugin settings under Tools > Auto Login Links
    Affected if The auto-login shortcode feature is enabled and accessible to authenticated users
  4. Audit auto-login link configurations for unauthorized modifications
    In WordPress admin, navigate to Groundhogg > Tools > Auto Login Links. Review all auto-login links for unexpected changes to user assignments, particularly links that grant 'verified' status to suspicious users
    Affected if Auto-login links exist that grant elevated privileges (verified status) to users who should not have them, or links were created/modified without admin action

You are affected if Groundhogg plugin version is 2.7.9.8 or lower AND the auto-login feature is enabled, allowing unauthorized privilege escalation through forged ajax_edit_contact requests.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 2.7.9.8
Interim mitigation

Update the Groundhogg plugin to version 2.7.9.9 or later which includes proper nonce validation for the ajax_edit_contact function. Additionally, implement WordPress nonce checks and ensure admin users are cautious of clicking untrusted links.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Groundhogg 2.7.9.9 or later

  1. Log in to the WordPress admin dashboard
  2. Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins
  3. Locate the Groundhogg plugin
  4. Check the current version number to confirm it is 2.7.9.8 or lower
  5. Click 'Update Now' if an update is available, or manually download the latest version from wordpress.org/plugins/groundhogg/
  6. After updating, verify the plugin version is 2.7.9.9 or higher
  7. Confirm the update was successful and the site functions normally

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Groundhogg Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
7.0 hours of engineering $1,240
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,984.

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2023-2736 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data