CVE-2022-1912 is a high-severity Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability affecting the Button Widget Smartsoft plugin for WordPress, specifically versions up to and including 1.0.1. The vulnerability arises due to the absence of nonce validation on the smartsoftbutton_settings page, which is a critical security mechanism designed to prevent unauthorized commands from being executed on behalf of an authenticated user. Because of this missing validation, an unauthenticated attacker can craft a malicious request that, if an authenticated site administrator is tricked into clicking (for example, via a phishing email or malicious website), allows the attacker to update the plugin’s settings. This can lead to the injection of malicious web scripts, potentially enabling further attacks such as persistent cross-site scripting (XSS), site defacement, or unauthorized administrative actions. The CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.8 reflects the high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability, with an attack vector that is network-based, requires no privileges but does require user interaction (the administrator clicking a crafted link). Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the vulnerability’s nature and ease of exploitation make it a significant threat to WordPress sites using this plugin. The lack of a patch link indicates that users must monitor vendor updates or apply manual mitigations to protect their environments.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a substantial risk, especially for those relying on WordPress websites with the Button Widget Smartsoft plugin installed. Successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized changes in plugin settings, injection of malicious scripts, and potential compromise of site integrity and user data. This can result in data breaches, defacement of public-facing websites, loss of customer trust, and regulatory non-compliance under GDPR due to unauthorized data manipulation or exposure. The attack requires tricking an administrator, so organizations with less stringent user awareness or lacking multi-factor authentication on admin accounts are at higher risk. Additionally, compromised websites could be used as a vector for further attacks, including malware distribution or phishing campaigns targeting European users. The impact extends to availability if injected scripts disrupt normal site operations or cause denial-of-service conditions.

Organizations should immediately verify if the Button Widget Smartsoft plugin is installed and identify the version in use. Until an official patch is released, administrators should consider disabling or uninstalling the plugin to eliminate the attack surface. If removal is not feasible, restrict administrative access to trusted IP addresses and enforce strong authentication mechanisms, including multi-factor authentication, to reduce the risk of an attacker successfully tricking an admin. Educate administrators about phishing and social engineering tactics to prevent inadvertent clicks on malicious links. Implement web application firewalls (WAFs) with custom rules to detect and block suspicious requests targeting the smartsoftbutton_settings page. Regularly monitor website logs for unusual activity related to plugin settings changes. Once a patch is available, apply it promptly. Additionally, consider using security plugins that enforce nonce validation or other CSRF protections as a temporary safeguard.