CVE-2023-52119 is a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability identified in the Icegram Engage WordPress plugin, which is used for lead generation, popup building, call-to-action (CTA) elements, opt-ins, and email list building. This vulnerability affects versions up to 3.1.18 of the plugin. CSRF vulnerabilities allow an attacker to trick an authenticated user into submitting a forged request to a web application without their consent or knowledge. In this case, an attacker could craft a malicious request that, when executed by an authenticated administrator or user with sufficient privileges on a WordPress site using the Icegram Engage plugin, could perform unauthorized actions such as modifying plugin settings, altering lead generation forms, or changing opt-in configurations. The vulnerability has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 4.3, indicating a medium severity level. The vector string (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N) shows that the attack can be performed remotely over the network with low attack complexity, does not require privileges, but does require user interaction (the victim must be authenticated and perform some action like clicking a link). The impact is limited to integrity, with no direct confidentiality or availability impact. No known exploits are reported in the wild as of the publication date. The vulnerability stems from insufficient anti-CSRF protections in the plugin's request handling, allowing unauthorized state-changing requests to be processed if a logged-in user is tricked into executing them. Given the plugin’s role in managing lead generation and email opt-ins, exploitation could lead to unauthorized changes in marketing or user engagement configurations, potentially undermining the integrity of collected data or user consent mechanisms.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a risk primarily to the integrity of marketing and user engagement data managed through WordPress sites using the Icegram Engage plugin. Unauthorized changes could disrupt lead generation campaigns, alter opt-in forms, or manipulate call-to-action elements, potentially leading to loss of trust, reduced marketing effectiveness, or non-compliance with data protection regulations such as GDPR if user consent mechanisms are tampered with. Although the vulnerability does not directly expose confidential data or cause service outages, the manipulation of opt-in and email list building processes could indirectly affect data privacy compliance and user trust. Organizations relying heavily on WordPress for customer engagement, especially those in sectors like e-commerce, media, or services, may face reputational damage or regulatory scrutiny if such unauthorized changes occur. The requirement for user interaction and authentication limits the attack surface but does not eliminate risk, especially in environments where administrative users may be targeted via phishing or social engineering.

To mitigate this vulnerability, European organizations should immediately update the Icegram Engage plugin to a version where the vulnerability is patched once available. Until a patch is released, administrators should implement strict access controls to limit the number of users with administrative privileges on WordPress sites. Employing web application firewalls (WAFs) with rules to detect and block CSRF attack patterns can provide additional protection. Organizations should also educate users with administrative access about the risks of phishing and social engineering attacks that could trigger CSRF exploits. Implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA) for WordPress admin accounts can reduce the risk of compromised credentials being used in conjunction with CSRF attacks. Regularly auditing plugin configurations and monitoring logs for unusual changes to lead generation or opt-in settings can help detect exploitation attempts early. Finally, organizations should review their consent management and data processing workflows to ensure that any unauthorized changes can be quickly identified and remediated to maintain GDPR compliance.