CVE-2024-32703
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes a Missing Authorization vulnerability in the ARForms WordPress plugin that allows subscribers (low-privileged users) to delete arbitrary files on the server. The vulnerability affects all versions up to 6.4, potentially compromising website integrity and availability.
💻 Affected Systems
- ARForms WordPress Plugin
📦 What is this software?
Arforms by Reputeinfosystems
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete website compromise through deletion of critical WordPress files, leading to site unavailability, data loss, and potential privilege escalation.
Likely Case
Subscribers deleting theme files, plugin files, or uploaded content, causing website functionality issues and potential defacement.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if proper file permissions and authorization checks are in place, with only non-critical files accessible.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires subscriber-level access. Public proof-of-concept demonstrates file deletion capability.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 6.5 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://patchstack.com/database/vulnerability/arforms/wordpress-arforms-plugin-6-4-subscriber-arbitrary-file-deletion-vulnerability
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Log into WordPress admin panel. 2. Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins. 3. Find ARForms and click 'Update Now'. 4. Verify version is 6.5 or higher.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable ARForms Plugin
allTemporarily deactivate the vulnerable plugin until patching is possible.
wp plugin deactivate arforms
Remove Subscriber Role
allTemporarily remove or restrict subscriber accounts to prevent exploitation.
wp user list --role=subscriber --field=ID | xargs wp user delete --yes
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict file permissions (755 for directories, 644 for files) to limit damage
- Monitor and audit subscriber account activity for suspicious file deletion attempts
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check WordPress admin panel > Plugins > ARForms version. If version is 6.4 or lower, system is vulnerable.Check Version:
wp plugin get arforms --field=versionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify ARForms plugin version is 6.5 or higher in WordPress admin panel.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- WordPress logs showing file deletion by subscriber users
- Web server logs with POST requests to ARForms admin-ajax.php with file deletion parameters
Network Indicators:
- HTTP POST requests to /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php with action=arflite_delete_file parameter
SIEM Query:
source="wordpress.log" AND "arflite_delete_file" AND user_role="subscriber"