CVE-2024-28850
📋 TL;DR
WP Crontrol plugin for WordPress has a potential remote code execution vulnerability through vulnerability chaining. The plugin's PHP cron event feature could be exploited if combined with other vulnerabilities like SQL injection or database compromise. This affects WordPress sites using WP Crontrol versions before 1.16.2.
💻 Affected Systems
- WP Crontrol WordPress Plugin
📦 What is this software?
Wp Crontrol by Johnbillion
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Full site compromise with remote code execution leading to data theft, malware installation, or complete server takeover
Likely Case
Limited impact requiring chaining with other vulnerabilities; most sites would only be affected if already compromised through other means
If Mitigated
No direct exploitation possible when using patched version; other vulnerabilities would need to be present
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires chaining with other vulnerabilities like SQL injection, database compromise, or arbitrary option updates
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 1.16.2
Vendor Advisory: https://github.com/johnbillion/wp-crontrol/security/advisories/GHSA-9xvf-cjvf-ff5q
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Log into WordPress admin panel
2. Navigate to Plugins → Installed Plugins
3. Find WP Crontrol
4. Click 'Update Now' if available
5. Or download version 1.16.2+ from WordPress repository
6. Upload and replace existing plugin
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable PHP cron events feature
allPrevent creation of PHP cron events through WP Crontrol
Add define('WP_CRONTROL_DISABLE_PHP', true); to wp-config.php
Remove plugin temporarily
linuxDeactivate WP Crontrol until patched
wp plugin deactivate wp-crontrol
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict administrative access to trusted users only
- Implement web application firewall rules to detect and block SQL injection attempts
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check WP Crontrol plugin version in WordPress admin under Plugins → Installed PluginsCheck Version:
wp plugin get wp-crontrol --field=versionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify WP Crontrol version is 1.16.2 or higher📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual cron event creation
- PHP code execution in cron logs
- SQL injection attempts in web server logs
Network Indicators:
- Unexpected outbound connections from cron processes
- Unusual database queries from web application
SIEM Query:
source="wordpress" AND ("wp-crontrol" OR "cron event") AND ("php" OR "execute" OR "code")