CVE-2024-1565
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability allows authenticated WordPress users with contributor-level permissions or higher to inject malicious scripts via the PDF Widget URL in the EmbedPress plugin. The scripts are stored and execute whenever other users view pages containing the injected content. All WordPress sites using vulnerable versions of the EmbedPress plugin are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- EmbedPress WordPress Plugin
📦 What is this software?
Embedpress by Wpdeveloper
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Attackers could steal administrator credentials, redirect users to malicious sites, deface websites, or perform actions on behalf of authenticated users.
Likely Case
Malicious contributors or compromised accounts inject tracking scripts, adware, or credential harvesting forms into website pages.
If Mitigated
With proper user access controls and content review processes, impact is limited to unauthorized content changes that can be reverted.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires authenticated access but is straightforward once authenticated. The vulnerability is publicly documented with code references.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 3.9.11 and later
Vendor Advisory: https://wordpress.org/plugins/embedpress/#developers
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Log into WordPress admin panel. 2. Navigate to Plugins → Installed Plugins. 3. Find EmbedPress and click 'Update Now'. 4. Verify version is 3.9.11 or higher.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Remove Contributor Upload Capabilities
allTemporarily restrict contributor-level users from editing pages/posts to prevent exploitation.
Disable EmbedPress Plugin
linuxDeactivate the plugin until patched if PDF embedding is not critical.
wp plugin deactivate embedpress
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict user access controls and review all contributor content before publishing
- Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with XSS protection rules
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check WordPress admin → Plugins → Installed Plugins → EmbedPress version. If version is 3.9.10 or lower, you are vulnerable.Check Version:
wp plugin get embedpress --field=versionVerify Fix Applied:
After updating, confirm EmbedPress version is 3.9.11 or higher in WordPress plugins list.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual POST requests to /wp-admin/post.php with PDF URL parameters
- Multiple page edits by contributor-level users
Network Indicators:
- Script tags with unusual attributes in page responses
- External script loads from unexpected domains
SIEM Query:
source="wordpress.log" AND ("embedpress" OR "pdf_widget") AND ("update" OR "edit")🔗 References
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/embedpress/tags/3.9.8/EmbedPress/Elementor/Widgets/Embedpress_Pdf.php#L705
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset?sfp_email=&sfph_mail=&reponame=&old=3037767%40embedpress&new=3037767%40embedpress&sfp_email=&sfph_mail=#file1
- https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/caa97ae8-40a8-4ca1-820b-83675c053bfc?source=cve
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/embedpress/tags/3.9.8/EmbedPress/Elementor/Widgets/Embedpress_Pdf.php#L705
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset?sfp_email=&sfph_mail=&reponame=&old=3037767%40embedpress&new=3037767%40embedpress&sfp_email=&sfph_mail=#file1
- https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/caa97ae8-40a8-4ca1-820b-83675c053bfc?source=cve
