CVE-2024-12519
📋 TL;DR
The TCBD Auto Refresher WordPress plugin has a stored cross-site scripting vulnerability that allows authenticated attackers with contributor-level access or higher to inject malicious scripts into website pages. These scripts execute whenever users visit the compromised pages, potentially stealing credentials or performing unauthorized actions. All WordPress sites using this plugin up to version 2.0 are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- TCBD Auto Refresher WordPress Plugin
⚠️ Manual Verification Required
This CVE does not have specific version information in our database, so automatic vulnerability detection cannot determine if your system is affected.
Why? The CVE database entry doesn't specify which versions are vulnerable (no version ranges provided by the vendor/NVD).
🔒 Custom verification scripts are available for registered users. Sign up free to download automated test scripts.
- Review the CVE details at NVD
- Check vendor security advisories for your specific version
- Test if the vulnerability is exploitable in your environment
- Consider updating to the latest version as a precaution
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Attackers could steal administrator credentials, install backdoors, redirect users to malicious sites, or perform actions on behalf of authenticated users, potentially leading to complete site compromise.
Likely Case
Attackers with contributor access inject malicious scripts that steal user session cookies or credentials, leading to account takeover and further site manipulation.
If Mitigated
With proper user access controls and content security policies, impact is limited to the specific pages containing the malicious scripts, preventing widespread compromise.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires authenticated access but is technically simple once access is obtained.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 2.1 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://wordpress.org/plugins/tcbd-auto-refresher
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Log into WordPress admin panel. 2. Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins. 3. Find TCBD Auto Refresher. 4. Click 'Update Now' if available. 5. If no update appears, deactivate and delete the plugin, then install the latest version from the WordPress repository.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Remove Contributor Access
allTemporarily remove contributor-level access from untrusted users to prevent exploitation.
Disable Plugin
allDeactivate the TCBD Auto Refresher plugin until patched.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to restrict script execution
- Regularly audit user accounts and remove unnecessary contributor-level access
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check WordPress admin panel > Plugins > Installed Plugins for TCBD Auto Refresher version 2.0 or earlier.Check Version:
wp plugin list --name=tcbd-auto-refresher --field=versionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify plugin version is 2.1 or later in WordPress admin panel > Plugins > Installed Plugins.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual shortcode usage in post/page edits
- Multiple failed login attempts followed by successful contributor login
- Suspicious script tags in post/page content
Network Indicators:
- Unexpected external script loads from WordPress pages
- Suspicious outbound connections after page visits
SIEM Query:
source="wordpress" AND (event="post_edit" OR event="page_edit") AND (shortcode="tcbd_auto_refresh" OR plugin="tcbd-auto-refresher")