CVE-2024-37233
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes an improper authentication vulnerability in the Play.Ht WordPress plugin that allows attackers to bypass access controls and access functionality intended only for authenticated users. It affects all versions up to 3.6.4 of the plugin. WordPress sites using vulnerable versions of Play.Ht are at risk.
💻 Affected Systems
- Play.Ht WordPress 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 access administrative functionality, modify plugin settings, or potentially compromise the WordPress site depending on what functionality is exposed.
Likely Case
Unauthorized users accessing features intended for authenticated users, potentially leading to data exposure or unauthorized content manipulation.
If Mitigated
With proper authentication checks, only authorized users can access plugin functionality, maintaining intended access controls.
🎯 Exploit Status
The vulnerability involves broken access control which typically requires minimal technical skill to exploit once the attack vector is identified.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Versions after 3.6.4
Vendor Advisory: https://patchstack.com/database/vulnerability/play-ht/wordpress-play-ht-plugin-3-6-4-broken-access-control-vulnerability
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Log into WordPress admin panel
2. Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins
3. Find Play.Ht plugin
4. Click 'Update Now' if update available
5. If no update available, deactivate and remove plugin
6. Install latest version from WordPress repository
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable Play.Ht Plugin
allTemporarily disable the vulnerable plugin until patched version is available
wp plugin deactivate play-ht
Restrict Access via Web Application Firewall
allConfigure WAF rules to block unauthorized access to Play.Ht endpoints
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict network access controls to limit who can access the WordPress admin interface
- Enable detailed logging and monitoring for unauthorized access attempts to Play.Ht endpoints
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check WordPress admin panel > Plugins > Installed Plugins for Play.Ht versionCheck Version:
wp plugin get play-ht --field=versionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify Play.Ht plugin version is 3.6.5 or higher in WordPress admin📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unauthorized access attempts to Play.Ht API endpoints
- 403/401 errors followed by 200 success codes for same endpoints
Network Indicators:
- Unusual traffic patterns to /wp-content/plugins/play-ht/ endpoints from unauthenticated sources
SIEM Query:
source="wordpress.log" AND ("play-ht" OR "play.ht") AND (response_code=200) AND (user="-" OR user="unauthenticated")