CVE-2024-2376
📋 TL;DR
The WPQA Builder WordPress plugin before version 6.1.1 lacks Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) protection on certain endpoints, allowing attackers to trick authenticated users into performing unintended actions. This affects all WordPress sites using vulnerable versions of the WPQA Builder plugin. Attackers could exploit this to modify settings, delete content, or perform other administrative actions without the user's consent.
💻 Affected Systems
- WPQA Builder WordPress Plugin
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Attackers could compromise the entire WordPress site by tricking administrators into executing malicious actions like installing backdoors, changing administrator credentials, or deleting critical content.
Likely Case
Attackers could manipulate user accounts, delete posts/comments, or modify plugin settings through crafted requests sent to logged-in users.
If Mitigated
With proper CSRF tokens and validation, no unauthorized actions can be performed even if malicious requests are sent.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires tricking authenticated users into visiting malicious pages. No authentication bypass is needed beyond user interaction.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 6.1.1
Vendor Advisory: https://wpscan.com/vulnerability/bdd2e323-d589-4050-bc27-5edd2507a818/
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Log into WordPress admin panel. 2. Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins. 3. Find WPQA Builder plugin. 4. Click 'Update Now' if update is available. 5. Alternatively, download version 6.1.1+ from WordPress repository and manually update.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Temporary Plugin Deactivation
allDisable the WPQA Builder plugin until patched to prevent exploitation.
wp plugin deactivate wpqa-builder
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to block CSRF attempts targeting WPQA Builder endpoints.
- Educate users about phishing risks and implement strict access controls for administrative functions.
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check WordPress admin panel > Plugins > Installed Plugins for WPQA Builder version. If version is below 6.1.1, system is vulnerable.Check Version:
wp plugin get wpqa-builder --field=versionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify WPQA Builder plugin version is 6.1.1 or higher in WordPress admin panel.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual POST requests to WPQA Builder endpoints without referrer validation
- Multiple failed CSRF token validations in WordPress logs
Network Indicators:
- HTTP requests to /wp-content/plugins/wpqa-builder/ with missing or invalid nonce parameters
SIEM Query:
source="wordpress" AND (uri_path="/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php" OR uri_path CONTAINS "/wpqa-builder/") AND http_method="POST" AND NOT referer CONTAINS own_domain