CVE-2022-3688 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting the WPQA Builder WordPress plugin versions prior to 5.9. The vulnerability is classified as a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) issue (CWE-352). Specifically, the plugin lacks proper CSRF protection when users perform follow and unfollow actions on other users. This absence of CSRF tokens or equivalent verification mechanisms allows an attacker to craft malicious web requests that, when executed by an authenticated user, can trigger unintended follow or unfollow actions without the user's consent. The vulnerability requires the victim to be logged into a WordPress site using the vulnerable WPQA Builder plugin. Exploitation does not require elevated privileges or complex conditions, only that the user interacts with a maliciously crafted web page or link. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 8.8, indicating high severity, with vector metrics AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. This means the attack can be launched remotely over the network with low attack complexity, no privileges required, but user interaction is necessary. The impact affects confidentiality, integrity, and availability, as attackers can manipulate user relationships within the platform, potentially leading to social engineering, reputation damage, or denial of service through user manipulation. No known public exploits have been reported yet, and no official patches or vendor advisories are currently available. The vulnerability was published on November 21, 2022, and was assigned by WPScan. The affected product is the WPQA Builder plugin, which is used to add Q&A and community features to WordPress sites. The vulnerability is particularly relevant for sites that rely on user interaction features such as following/unfollowing users, which could be abused to disrupt community dynamics or user trust.

For European organizations, especially those operating community-driven WordPress sites using the WPQA Builder plugin, this vulnerability poses a significant risk. Attackers could manipulate user relationships by forcing logged-in users to follow or unfollow others without consent, potentially undermining trust and social dynamics within the platform. This could lead to reputational damage, user dissatisfaction, and erosion of community engagement. In cases where user relationships influence content visibility or access, attackers might indirectly affect confidentiality or integrity of information. Additionally, automated or large-scale exploitation could disrupt service availability by causing erratic user behavior or triggering moderation workflows. Organizations in sectors such as media, education, social networking, and e-commerce that rely on WordPress communities are particularly vulnerable. Given the high CVSS score and the ease of exploitation (requiring only user interaction), the threat is substantial. The lack of known exploits in the wild reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the potential for future attacks. European organizations must consider the GDPR implications if user data or interactions are manipulated, as this could lead to compliance issues.

Immediately update the WPQA Builder plugin to version 5.9 or later once available, as this version is expected to include CSRF protections. Until an official patch is released, implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block suspicious POST requests targeting follow/unfollow endpoints without valid CSRF tokens or with anomalous referrer headers. Restrict the follow/unfollow actions to POST requests only and verify the HTTP Referer header to ensure requests originate from legitimate pages within the site. Implement additional server-side validation to confirm user intent, such as requiring confirmation dialogs or CAPTCHA challenges for follow/unfollow actions. Educate users about the risks of clicking on suspicious links while logged into the site, emphasizing safe browsing practices. Monitor logs for unusual spikes in follow/unfollow activity that could indicate exploitation attempts. Consider temporarily disabling the follow/unfollow feature if it is not critical to the site's operation until the vulnerability is patched. Review and harden session management and authentication mechanisms to reduce the risk of session hijacking, which could compound the impact of CSRF. Engage with the plugin vendor or community to obtain timely updates and share threat intelligence.