Reported vulnerability

Blackhole for Bad Bots <= 3.3.1 - Arbitrary IP Address Blocking via IP Spoofing

Published 31 Jan 2022

Updated 22 Jan 2024

CVE-2022-1165

Compare your installed software with the affected versions below. Follow the source’s remediation guidance and test an available update after taking a backup. A database entry describes a reported issue; it does not establish whether a particular website has been compromised.

Does this affect my version?

Check your installed version against this advisory. This compares the report’s version ranges and does not scan your website.

Blackhole for Bad Bots

In WordPress, open Plugins > Installed Plugins and find the version shown beneath the plugin name.

Wordfence advisory

critical · CVSS 9.1

The Blackhole for Bad Bots WordPress plugin before 3.3.2 uses headers such as CF-CONNECTING-IP, CLIENT-IP etc to determine the IP address of requests hitting the blackhole URL, which allows them to be spoofed. This could result in blocking arbitrary IP addresses, such as legitimate/good search engine crawlers / bots. This could also be abused by competitors to cause damage related to visibility in search engines, can be used to bypass arbitrary blocks caused by this plugin, block any visitor or even the administrator and even more.

Severity vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H

Blackhole for Bad Bots

Software
plugin · blackhole-bad-bots
Affected versions
Start version unspecified, before 3.3.2
Fix availability
Fix available
Fixed versions
3.3.2

Recommended action

Update to version 3.3.2, or a newer patched version

Further references (1)
Data sources and licences

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Copyright 1999-2026 The MITRE Corporation

CVE Usage: MITRE hereby grants you a perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive, no-charge, royalty-free, irrevocable copyright license to reproduce, prepare derivative works of, publicly display, publicly perform, sublicense, and distribute Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE®). Any copy you make for such purposes is authorized provided that you reproduce MITRE's copyright designation and this license in any such copy.

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Source: Wordfence

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Questions about this vulnerability

Which versions of Blackhole for Bad Bots are affected?

Wordfence lists these affected versions: Start version unspecified, before 3.3.2. Use the version checker above to compare your installed release with this report.

Is a fix available for Blackhole for Bad Bots?

Wordfence reports a fix for this issue in Blackhole for Bad Bots. It lists these fixed versions: 3.3.2. Back up your website and test the recommended update before applying it to your live site.

Where can I find my installed plugin version?

In WordPress, open Plugins > Installed Plugins and find the version shown beneath the plugin name.

Does an affected version mean my website has been hacked?

An affected version means the installed release matches a vulnerability described in this report. It does not show whether anyone has exploited it on your website. The checker compares version numbers with stored reports; it does not inspect your website.

These reports cover at least one of the same plugins, themes or WordPress core. Check each report’s affected versions separately.

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