| Plugin Name | WP Plugin Info Card |
|---|---|
| Type of Vulnerability | CSRF |
| CVE Number | CVE-2026-2023 |
| Urgency | Low |
| CVE Publish Date | 2026-02-17 |
| Source URL | CVE-2026-2023 |
Urgent Security Alert: CSRF Vulnerability in ‘WP Plugin Info Card’ (≤ 6.2.0) — Immediate Actions for WordPress Site Owners
Author: Managed-WP Security Team
Date: 2026-02-17
Tags: WordPress, Security, CSRF, WAF, Incident Response, Managed-WP
Executive Summary: A Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) flaw identified as CVE-2026-2023 impacts WP Plugin Info Card plugin versions up to 6.2.0. This vulnerability enables attackers to force privileged users into unintentionally creating arbitrary plugin entries. Version 6.3.0 contains the necessary fix. As leaders in WordPress security, Managed-WP provides a comprehensive analysis and mitigation strategy to protect your sites immediately.
Table of Contents
- Incident Overview
- CSRF Explained & Technical Details
- Risk Assessment & Threat Model
- Indicators and Evidence to Investigate
- Immediate Remediation Steps
- WAF & Virtual Patch Recommendations from Managed-WP
- Site Hardening and Long-term Prevention
- Detection & Logging Strategies
- Incident Response Protocol
- Managed-WP Protection Plan Offer
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Appendix: Sample WAF Rules
Incident Overview
On February 17, 2026, a CSRF vulnerability (CVE-2026-2023) affecting WP Plugin Info Card versions ≤ 6.2.0 was disclosed. The plugin’s author promptly released version 6.3.0 to address this issue.
This weakness allows unauthenticated attackers to craft malicious requests that, when executed by logged-in users with admin or editor privileges, can create unauthorized plugin entries. These forged requests rely on user interaction, such as clicking a malicious link or loading a compromised webpage. While this limits mass automated exploitation, targeted phishing campaigns remain a serious threat.
Managed-WP strongly recommends immediate review and mitigation, following the detailed guidance provided herein — essential whether you manage a single WordPress installation or operate multiple client sites.
CSRF Explained & Technical Details
What is Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF)?
- CSRF tricks authenticated users into submitting unintended, harmful HTTP requests to sites where they are logged in, leading to unauthorized actions processed with their privileges.
- The server fails to distinguish legitimate user-initiated requests from maliciously forged ones originating on attacker-controlled sites.
Why was WP Plugin Info Card vulnerable?
- The plugin’s endpoint responsible for creating entries lacked proper CSRF defenses — specifically, missing or incorrectly validated WordPress nonces and capability checks.
- Although the vulnerability signature indicates “Unauthenticated,” successful exploitation requires a privileged user’s interaction, identifying this as a classic CSRF attack vector.
Potential Exploitation Impact
- Attackers can inject arbitrary plugin entries, with possible consequences including:
- Phishing or social engineering via inserted content displayed within the WordPress UI.
- Triggering additional plugin/application logic with malicious entries.
- Embedding links or scripts potentially used in further attacks.
- Facilitating privilege escalation or data exposure when combined with other misconfigurations.
Note: There is no evidence that this vulnerability alone permits direct remote code execution or database compromise. The CVSS severity rating is low (4.3), reflecting limited immediate risk. Nevertheless, combined with additional attack steps or social engineering, this risk profile increases and requires proactive mitigation.
Risk Assessment & Threat Model
Who is vulnerable?
- Any WordPress installation running WP Plugin Info Card version 6.2.0 or lower.
- Sites with privileged users (admins, editors) who may be exposed to phishing or malicious websites.
- Multi-site and managed environments where multiple users hold elevated permissions.
Attacker prerequisites
- Ability to lure an authenticated privileged user to visit or click a maliciously crafted web page or link.
- No authentication is required for the attacker; the attack leverages the victim’s logged-in session.
Elevated risk scenarios
- Sites that display plugin-created entries publicly without sanitization, amplifying phishing or social engineering potential.
- Sites automating processing of plugin entries or performing external integrations triggered by them.
- Environments with numerous privileged users or poor administrative security hygiene.
Risk Summary
- Mass automated exploitation likelihood: Low (due to user-interaction requirement).
- Targeted compromise threat: Medium, especially via phishing or social engineering.
- Facilitation of chained attacks: Medium, when combined with other vulnerabilities or misconfigurations.
Indicators and Evidence to Investigate
Before or during patching, confirm absence of compromise using these investigative steps:
1. Plugin database entries
- Inspect recently created plugin entries around or after disclosure date for suspicious or unfamiliar content.
- Review plugin-specific admin pages for anomalous entries.
2. WordPress activity logs
- Audit admin actions for unexpected plugin entry creation events, unusual IP addresses, or odd timing.
3. Server access logs
- Review POST requests to admin endpoints such as
admin-post.phpandadmin-ajax.phpwith suspicious parameters or external referers.
4. Admin browser session review
- If specific admin accounts are suspected, check their browser history or session activity for exposure to malicious URLs.
5. Outbound/requested resources analysis
- Validate if the plugin’s entries triggered unexpected outbound connections or DNS requests around suspicious activity timestamps.
Indicators of Compromise (IoCs)
- Unknown or unexpected plugin entries containing obfuscated scripts, external links, or unusual HTML.
- POST requests at admin endpoints with suspicious action parameters from external referers.
- Active admin user sessions performing plugin entry operations while concurrently browsing untrusted sites.
If evidence is found, proceed immediately to the incident response steps outlined below.
Immediate Remediation Steps
To secure your WordPress environment, follow these prioritized actions now:
1) Update the plugin
- Upgrade WP Plugin Info Card to version 6.3.0 or later on every instance.
- Test updates in a staging environment if customizations exist.
2) Apply virtual patching if immediate updates are unfeasible
- Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to block vulnerable endpoint requests lacking valid WordPress nonces or originating from external referers.
- Managed-WP customers benefit from pre-configured virtual patches blocking such exploit attempts until patch rollout.
3) Limit admin account exposure
- Encourage admin users to log out when idle and avoid using admin privileges for casual browsing.
- Enforce Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) across privileged accounts.
4) Strengthen server and application defenses
- Confirm use of SameSite=Lax or Strict on authentication cookies where feasible.
- Verify custom plugin endpoints use WordPress nonces and validate user capabilities.
5) Audit and disable unused plugin features
- If your site does not require the entry-creation API, disable these features or consider replacing the plugin if it has no update timeline.
6) Increase monitoring
- Boost logging and alerting on plugin entry creation and admin activity for at least 30 days post-remediation.
WAF & Virtual Patch Recommendations from Managed-WP
For sites unable to patch immediately, Managed-WP recommends the following virtual patch strategies to mitigate risk:
Core WAF Strategies
- Block POST/GET requests to the plugin’s entry creation endpoints if the HTTP referer is missing or external.
- Deny requests with unusual content-types (e.g., application/json) targeting admin endpoints unless explicitly expected.
- Enforce origin and referer validation to accept only same-origin state-changing requests.
- Implement rate-limiting on admin endpoints to suppress automated exploit attempts.
Managed-WP Virtual Patch Highlights
- Blocks requests missing valid WordPress nonces or valid origin headers.
- Filters anonymous requests containing entry-creation parameters at
admin-ajax.phporadmin-post.php. - Provides comprehensive logging with context for incident investigations.
Safe Deployment Guidelines
- Enable these WAF rules in monitoring mode initially for 24–48 hours to detect false positives.
- Review and whitelist legitimate traffic patterns.
- Switch to active blocking mode once confident of no user disruption.
- Maintain these protections until all sites are updated.
Note: Combining plugin updates with Managed-WP’s virtual patching delivers optimal risk reduction.
Site Hardening and Long-term Prevention
Managing CSRF risks requires continuous vigilance across the WordPress ecosystem:
- Plugin & Theme Developers:
- Always implement WordPress nonces (
wp_create_nonceandwp_verify_nonce) on state-changing endpoints. - Validate user capabilities thoroughly before performing sensitive actions.
- Alternatively, secure
admin-post.phporadmin-ajax.phpwith proper checks instead of exposing unsecured REST endpoints.
- Always implement WordPress nonces (
- Administrators:
- Minimize users with administrative privileges.
- Review user roles regularly and enforce principle of least privilege.
- Mandate 2FA for all admin and editor roles.
- Avoid shared admin accounts.
- Hosting Providers & Security Teams:
- Offer managed automatic updates and backups whenever possible.
- Provide virtual patching and managed WAF solutions covering the window between vulnerability disclosure and patching.
- Maintain accurate inventories of plugin versions across client environments.
- All Users:
- Maintain a regular, tested backup strategy.
- Keep WordPress core, themes, and plugins updated on a consistent, tested schedule.
Detection & Logging Strategies
To aid in monitoring and incident detection, consider the following search patterns and log filters:
1. Web Server Logs
- Query POST requests to admin endpoints that lack internal referers:
Example:REQUEST_URI ~ "/wp-admin/(admin-ajax.php|admin-post.php)" AND REQUEST_METHOD == "POST" AND NOT HTTP_REFERER ~ ^https?://(yourdomain\.com|www\.yourdomain\.com)
2. WordPress Activity Logs
- Monitor creation of new plugin entries by admin users, especially those from new or unusual IPs.
3. WAF Logs
- Track blocked requests matching plugin entry-creation signatures; investigate spikes or trends from single IPs or regions.
4. Database Queries
- Check plugin tables for entries added post-disclosure date:
SELECT * FROM wp_wp_plugin_info_entries WHERE created_at > '2026-02-17' ORDER BY created_at DESC LIMIT 50;
Incident Response Protocol
If compromise is suspected, follow these ordered steps promptly:
1. Preserve Evidence
- Secure logs, database snapshots, and timestamps of suspicious events.
2. Contain the Threat
- Temporarily disable the vulnerable plugin or enable firewall virtual patches to block exploit attempts.
- Force logout of all admin sessions; rotate passwords and renew authentication salts in
wp-config.php.
3. Eradicate Malicious Elements
- Apply the official plugin update (6.3.0 or higher).
- Remove unauthorized plugin entries identified during investigation.
4. Recover Operations
- Restore from clean backups if data integrity is compromised.
- Rotate credentials used by site services (FTP, hosting panels, APIs).
5. Notify and Follow-Up
- Inform affected users following applicable disclosure policies and laws, if necessary.
- Conduct an overall security audit for other indicators of compromise (e.g., web shells, unauthorized users, scheduled tasks).
6. Post-Incident Review
- Analyze root causes, evaluate mitigation effectiveness, and update defenses accordingly.
Managed-WP Protection Plan Offer
Protecting your WordPress site should be both comprehensive and hassle-free. Managed-WP’s security services go beyond typical hosting to give you peace of mind:
- Web Application Firewall (WAF) with tailored rules and real-time virtual patching.
- Dedicated vulnerability response and incident remediation support.
- Personalized onboarding and hands-on security checklists.
- Continuous monitoring, instant alerts, and priority technical assistance.
- Guidance on secrets management, role hardening, and proactive defenses.
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- Immediate defense against new plugin and theme vulnerabilities.
- Custom WAF rules and instant virtual patches tailored for high-risk cases.
- Concierge onboarding, expert remediation, and best-practice security advice anytime you need it.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: Does having WP Plugin Info Card ≤ 6.2.0 installed mean my site is compromised?
A: Not necessarily. The exploit requires a privileged user to be tricked into triggering the malicious request. If no privileged user has done so, the risk remains low. However, promptly update and monitor your site.
Q: Can WAF rules cause legitimate site functionality to break?
A: Potentially, which is why we advise initial detect-only mode and careful tuning to minimize false positives before enforcing blocks.
Q: Should I uninstall the plugin if I cannot update it immediately?
A: If the plugin is non-essential and updates are unavailable, disabling or uninstalling is recommended to reduce risk.
Q: I’m a developer—how can I avoid CSRF vulnerabilities?
A: Always implement WordPress nonces on POST or state-changing endpoints, verify user permissions using current_user_can, and avoid exposing sensitive server actions to unauthenticated contexts.
Appendix: Sample WAF Rules (Conceptual Examples)
Below are illustrative WAF rule examples to block CSRF exploitation attempts. Customize them to your environment and test before enforcement:
1) Block POST requests to plugin endpoint without valid referer Origin:
# ModSecurity conceptual rule SecRule REQUEST_URI "@contains /wp-plugin-info-card/" \ "phase:2,chain,log,deny,id:100100,msg:'Block potential CSRF to WP Plugin Info Card',severity:2" SecRule REQUEST_METHOD "POST" \ "chain" SecRule REQUEST_HEADERS:Referer "!@beginsWith https://yourdomain.com" \ "t:none"
2) Detect create action POSTs in admin AJAX with suspicious parameters:
# Detect-only logging example SecRule REQUEST_URI "(admin-ajax\.php|admin-post\.php)" \ "phase:2,log,pass,id:100101,msg:'Suspicious create plugin entry action',nolog,\ chain" SecRule ARGS_NAMES "@rx (create_entry|create_plugin_entry|wp_create_plugin)" \ "t:none,log"
3) Rate-limit inputs to vulnerable endpoints:
# Rate-limiting concept: max 10 requests per minute from one IP
SecAction "phase:1,pass,nolog,initcol:ip=%{REMOTE_ADDR}"
SecRule IP:REQ_COUNTER "@gt 10" "phase:2,deny,id:100102,msg:'Rate-limit exceeded for plugin endpoint'"
Note: Replace placeholders such as yourdomain.com and parameter names based on your deployment. Test thoroughly in staging environments before moving to production.
Closing Remarks: Prioritize Security and Resilience
Even vulnerabilities with low immediate severity demand timely attention when affecting admin pathways. The fastest way to secure your site is upgrading to the fixed plugin version (6.3.0+), complemented by Managed-WP’s virtual patching if immediate updates are not possible.
For those overseeing multiple WordPress sites, maintain accurate inventories, schedule rolling updates, enforce 2FA, and deploy managed WAF solutions. Managed-WP’s Basic (Free) plan offers an excellent starting point for virtual patching and attack pattern mitigation while you execute plugin upgrades.
Stay vigilant: maintain logs and backups, patch quickly, and enforce layered defenses. If you require assistance with WAF rules, virtual patching, or incident handling, our Managed-WP support team is ready to help you protect your assets swiftly and effectively.
Responsible Disclosure Statement
This blog provides security guidance without divulging exploit details or attack instructions to prevent misuse. We encourage responsible vulnerability disclosure to plugin authors and appropriate channels.
Take Proactive Action — Secure Your Site with Managed-WP
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Why trust Managed-WP?
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- Custom WAF rules and instant virtual patching for high-risk scenarios
- Concierge onboarding, expert remediation, and best-practice advice whenever you need it
Don’t wait for the next security breach. Safeguard your WordPress site and reputation with Managed-WP—the choice for businesses serious about security.
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