# CVE-2022-0229: miniOrange's Google Authenticator < 5.5 - Unauthenticated Arbitrary Options Deletion

> Unauthenticated attackers can delete arbitrary WordPress options due to missing authorization and CSRF checks, rendering the site unusable.

- **Severity:** High 8.1 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 21 Mar 2022
- **Updated:** 2 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-93c5-xvhq-3947

## What is CVE-2022-0229?

CVE-2022-0229 is a high-severity missing authorization vulnerability in Unknown miniOrange's Google Authenticator, published on 21 Mar 2022. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

The miniOrange's Google Authenticator WordPress plugin before 5.5 does not have proper authorisation and CSRF checks when handling the reconfigureMethod, and does not validate the parameters passed to it properly. As a result, unauthenticated users could delete arbitrary options from the blog, making it unusable.

Weakness: CWE-862 (Missing Authorization), CWE-352 (Cross-Site Request Forgery)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2022-0229?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Miniorange Google Authenticator.

## How do I fix CVE-2022-0229?

No fix has been published for CVE-2022-0229 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2022-0229 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-0229 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Unknown miniOrange's Google Authenticator

- [CVE-2022-44589](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-44589/): WordPress miniOrange's Google Authenticator Plugin <= 5.6.1 is vulnerable to Sensitive Data Exposure (high 8.1)
- [CVE-2022-4943](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-4943/): miniOrange's Google Authenticator <= 5.6.5 - Missing Authorization to Plugin Settings Change (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2022-42461](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-42461/): WordPress miniOrange's Google Authenticator plugin <= 5.6.1 - Broken Access Control vulnerability (medium 5.4)
- [CVE-2022-1321](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-1321/): miniOrange's Google Authenticator < 5.5.6 - Admin+ Stored Cross-Site Scripting (medium 4.8)
- [CVE-2022-0875](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-0875/): miniOrange Google Authenticator < 1.0.5 - CSRF to Stored Cross-Site Scripting (medium 4.3)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2022-0229 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2022-0229 is a high-severity missing authorization vulnerability in Unknown miniOrange's Google Authenticator, published on 21 Mar 2022. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-0229 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Unknown miniOrange's Google Authenticator. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-0229/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-0229/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-0229
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-0229
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2022-0229

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-0229/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.