CVE-2024-38728
📋 TL;DR
This Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) vulnerability in the Seraphinite Post .DOCX Source WordPress plugin allows attackers to make unauthorized requests from the server to internal or external systems. It affects all WordPress sites using this plugin from any version up to 2.16.9. Attackers can potentially access internal services, perform port scanning, or interact with cloud metadata services.
💻 Affected Systems
- Seraphinite Solutions Seraphinite Post .DOCX Source WordPress Plugin
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete server compromise through accessing cloud metadata services (like AWS IMDS), internal service exploitation, or data exfiltration from internal networks.
Likely Case
Internal network reconnaissance, port scanning of internal services, and potential data leakage from accessible internal endpoints.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if network segmentation restricts internal access and external requests are filtered, though some information disclosure may still occur.
🎯 Exploit Status
SSRF vulnerabilities are commonly exploited and tooling exists for automated exploitation. The vulnerability is in a WordPress plugin, making it accessible to a wide range of attackers.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 2.16.10 or later
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Log into WordPress admin panel. 2. Navigate to Plugins → Installed Plugins. 3. Find 'Seraphinite Post .DOCX Source'. 4. Click 'Update Now' if update is available. 5. Alternatively, download version 2.16.10+ from WordPress repository and manually update.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable Plugin
allTemporarily disable the vulnerable plugin until patched
wp plugin deactivate seraphinite-post-docx-source
Network Restriction
linuxBlock outbound HTTP requests from WordPress server to internal networks
iptables -A OUTPUT -p tcp --dport 80 -d 10.0.0.0/8 -j DROP
iptables -A OUTPUT -p tcp --dport 443 -d 10.0.0.0/8 -j DROP
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Disable the Seraphinite Post .DOCX Source plugin immediately
- Implement network segmentation to restrict WordPress server from accessing internal services and cloud metadata endpoints
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check WordPress admin → Plugins → Seraphinite Post .DOCX Source version. If version is 2.16.9 or lower, you are vulnerable.Check Version:
wp plugin get seraphinite-post-docx-source --field=versionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify plugin version is 2.16.10 or higher in WordPress admin panel.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual outbound HTTP requests from WordPress server to internal IPs
- Requests to cloud metadata endpoints (169.254.169.254, 100.100.100.200)
- Multiple rapid requests to different internal ports
Network Indicators:
- HTTP traffic from WordPress server to internal services not normally accessed
- Port scanning patterns originating from WordPress server
SIEM Query:
source="wordpress-logs" AND (dst_ip=10.0.0.0/8 OR dst_ip=172.16.0.0/12 OR dst_ip=192.168.0.0/16 OR dst_ip=169.254.169.254) AND http_method=GET🔗 References
- https://patchstack.com/database/vulnerability/seraphinite-post-docx-source/wordpress-seraphinite-post-docx-source-plugin-2-16-9-server-side-request-forgery-ssrf-vulnerability?_s_id=cve
- https://patchstack.com/database/vulnerability/seraphinite-post-docx-source/wordpress-seraphinite-post-docx-source-plugin-2-16-9-server-side-request-forgery-ssrf-vulnerability?_s_id=cve
