CVE-2022-2352 is a high-severity vulnerability classified as CWE-918 (Server-Side Request Forgery, SSRF) found in the Post SMTP Mailer/Email Log WordPress plugin, specifically in versions prior to 2.1.7. The vulnerability arises due to improper authorization checks on certain AJAX actions within the plugin. This flaw allows users with high privileges, such as administrators, to perform blind SSRF attacks, particularly on WordPress multisite installations. SSRF vulnerabilities enable an attacker to make the server-side application send crafted HTTP requests to internal or external systems, potentially bypassing network access controls. In this case, the attacker must already have high-level access (admin) to exploit the vulnerability, which limits the initial attack vector but still poses significant risk. The blind SSRF nature means the attacker may not receive direct responses from the targeted requests, complicating detection but still allowing for reconnaissance or exploitation of internal services. The vulnerability affects the plugin's AJAX endpoints that lack proper authorization validation, allowing privileged users to trigger these SSRF requests. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.2, reflecting high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability, with network attack vector, low attack complexity, and no user interaction required beyond the attacker’s existing privileges. No known exploits in the wild have been reported, and no official patch links were provided in the data, but the fixed version is 2.1.7 or later. This vulnerability is particularly relevant for WordPress multisite environments where internal network resources may be accessible via SSRF, increasing the potential impact.

For European organizations using WordPress with the Post SMTP Mailer/Email Log plugin, especially in multisite configurations, this vulnerability could lead to significant security breaches. An attacker with admin privileges could leverage SSRF to access internal services that are otherwise protected by firewalls or network segmentation, potentially exposing sensitive data, internal APIs, or cloud metadata services. This could facilitate further lateral movement, data exfiltration, or pivoting attacks within the organization's infrastructure. Given the widespread use of WordPress across European enterprises, government agencies, and SMEs, the vulnerability could impact confidentiality and integrity of critical information systems. The SSRF could also be used to launch denial-of-service attacks on internal services, affecting availability. The requirement for admin privileges limits the threat to insiders or compromised admin accounts, but the risk remains high due to the potential for privilege escalation and internal reconnaissance. Organizations with strict data protection regulations like GDPR must be particularly cautious, as exploitation could lead to data breaches with regulatory and reputational consequences.

To mitigate this vulnerability, European organizations should immediately update the Post SMTP Mailer/Email Log plugin to version 2.1.7 or later, where the authorization checks have been properly implemented. In addition, organizations should audit their WordPress user privileges to ensure that admin accounts are limited to trusted personnel and that multi-factor authentication (MFA) is enforced to reduce the risk of credential compromise. Network segmentation should be reviewed to limit the WordPress server's ability to access sensitive internal resources, minimizing the impact of SSRF. Implementing Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) with rules to detect and block suspicious SSRF patterns can provide an additional layer of defense. Regular security audits and monitoring of logs for unusual outbound requests from WordPress servers can help detect exploitation attempts. For multisite installations, extra caution should be taken to verify that all plugins and themes are up to date and that security best practices for multisite environments are followed. Finally, organizations should consider restricting AJAX endpoints and validating all requests with strict authorization checks beyond relying solely on user roles.