CVE-2023-4013 is a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability affecting the WordPress plugin 'GDPR Cookie Compliance (CCPA, DSGVO, Cookie Consent)' in versions prior to 4.12.5. This plugin is widely used to help websites comply with privacy regulations such as GDPR and CCPA by managing cookie consent banners and related functionalities. The vulnerability arises because the plugin lacks proper CSRF protections when handling license management actions, specifically updating and deactivating the plugin's license. An attacker can exploit this flaw by tricking an authenticated administrator into visiting a maliciously crafted webpage, which then sends unauthorized requests to the WordPress site to alter the plugin license state without the admin's consent. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 6.5 (medium severity), reflecting that the attack can be performed remotely over the network without prior privileges (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N), but requires user interaction (UI:R) and does not impact confidentiality or availability, only integrity (I:H). The scope remains unchanged (S:U). Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the vulnerability poses a risk to site integrity because unauthorized license deactivation or modification could disrupt plugin functionality or licensing compliance, potentially affecting site operations or triggering compliance issues. Since the plugin is designed to manage cookie consent in accordance with GDPR and other privacy laws, tampering with its license could indirectly affect regulatory adherence and user trust. The vulnerability is assigned by WPScan and enriched by CISA, indicating credible recognition by security authorities. No patch links are provided in the data, but upgrading to version 4.12.5 or later is implied as the remediation step.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability is particularly significant due to the widespread adoption of GDPR compliance tools like the affected plugin. Unauthorized license modifications could lead to the plugin becoming non-functional or improperly configured, resulting in failure to display required cookie consent notices or manage user privacy preferences correctly. This could expose organizations to regulatory non-compliance risks and potential legal penalties under GDPR. Additionally, the integrity of the website’s compliance mechanisms would be compromised, potentially eroding user trust. Since the attack requires an authenticated admin to be tricked into visiting a malicious site, organizations with less stringent administrative access controls or user awareness training are at higher risk. The vulnerability does not directly expose sensitive data or cause denial of service, but the indirect consequences on compliance and operational continuity can be material. Given the plugin’s role in privacy compliance, European entities—especially those in sectors with strict data protection obligations such as finance, healthcare, and public services—should prioritize addressing this issue.

1. Immediate upgrade of the GDPR Cookie Compliance plugin to version 4.12.5 or later where the CSRF protections are implemented. 2. Implement strict administrative access controls: limit admin privileges to trusted personnel and enforce multi-factor authentication to reduce the risk of compromised credentials. 3. Conduct user awareness training focused on phishing and social engineering to prevent admins from interacting with malicious links or websites. 4. Employ web application firewalls (WAFs) with rules to detect and block suspicious CSRF attack patterns targeting license management endpoints. 5. Monitor plugin license status and website behavior for unexpected changes that could indicate exploitation attempts. 6. Review and harden WordPress security configurations, including nonce verification and CSRF tokens in custom plugins or themes, to reduce attack surface. 7. Regularly audit installed plugins for updates and known vulnerabilities, integrating automated vulnerability scanning into the patch management process.