CVE-2024-30545
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability in the WordPress Social Author Bio plugin allows attackers to perform Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) attacks that lead to Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS). Attackers can trick authenticated users into executing malicious actions that inject persistent scripts into the site. WordPress sites using vulnerable versions of this plugin are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- WordPress Social Author Bio 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 inject malicious JavaScript that steals administrator credentials, redirects users to malicious sites, or defaces the website for all visitors.
Likely Case
Attackers inject tracking scripts, display unwanted ads, or steal session cookies from logged-in users.
If Mitigated
With proper CSRF protections and content security policies, the attack surface is significantly reduced, though some risk remains.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires tricking an authenticated user (with appropriate privileges) to click a malicious link or visit a crafted page. The CSRF leads to stored XSS payload injection.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Version 2.5 or later
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Log into WordPress admin panel. 2. Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins. 3. Find 'Social Author Bio' and click 'Update Now' if available. 4. If no update appears, download version 2.5+ from WordPress.org and manually update via FTP or file manager.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable Plugin
allTemporarily deactivate the Social Author Bio plugin until patched.
wp plugin deactivate social-autho-bio
Implement CSRF Tokens
allAdd custom CSRF protection to the plugin's forms if you have development capabilities.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict plugin access to trusted administrators only and implement strict content security policies.
- Use web application firewalls (WAF) to block CSRF and XSS attack patterns.
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check WordPress admin > Plugins > Installed Plugins for Social Author Bio version. If version is 2.4 or lower, you are vulnerable.Check Version:
wp plugin get social-autho-bio --field=versionVerify Fix Applied:
After updating, verify the plugin version shows 2.5 or higher in WordPress admin.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual POST requests to wp-admin/admin-ajax.php or plugin-specific endpoints
- Unexpected modifications to author bio fields in database logs
Network Indicators:
- CSRF attack patterns in HTTP requests
- Suspicious JavaScript payloads in form submissions
SIEM Query:
source="wordpress.log" AND ("social-autho-bio" OR "author_bio") AND (POST OR "admin-ajax")🔗 References
- https://patchstack.com/database/vulnerability/social-autho-bio/wordpress-social-author-bio-plugin-2-4-stored-xss-via-cross-site-request-forgery-csrf-vulnerability?_s_id=cve
- https://patchstack.com/database/vulnerability/social-autho-bio/wordpress-social-author-bio-plugin-2-4-stored-xss-via-cross-site-request-forgery-csrf-vulnerability?_s_id=cve
