CVE-2024-44020
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes a Missing Authorization vulnerability in the WP Free SSL WordPress plugin. It allows attackers to perform actions without proper authentication, potentially modifying SSL settings or forcing HTTPS configurations. All WordPress sites using WP Free SSL plugin versions up to 1.2.6 are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- WP Free SSL – Free SSL Certificate for WordPress and force HTTPS
📦 What is this software?
Wp Free Ssl by Prasadkirpekar
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Attackers could disable SSL enforcement, redirect traffic to malicious sites, or modify WordPress configuration settings leading to site compromise.
Likely Case
Unauthorized users could change SSL settings, potentially breaking HTTPS enforcement or causing mixed content warnings.
If Mitigated
With proper access controls and network segmentation, impact would be limited to unauthorized SSL configuration changes.
🎯 Exploit Status
Missing authorization vulnerabilities typically require minimal technical skill to exploit once discovered.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 1.2.7 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://patchstack.com/database/vulnerability/wp-free-ssl/wordpress-wp-free-ssl-plugin-1-2-6-broken-access-control-vulnerability?_s_id=cve
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Log into WordPress admin panel. 2. Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins. 3. Find WP Free SSL plugin. 4. Click 'Update Now' if available. 5. If no update appears, manually download version 1.2.7+ from WordPress.org and replace plugin files.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable Plugin
allTemporarily disable the vulnerable plugin until patched
wp plugin deactivate wp-free-ssl
Restrict Admin Access
linuxLimit access to WordPress admin interface using IP whitelisting
# Add to .htaccess for Apache:
Order deny,allow
Deny from all
Allow from 192.168.1.0/24
Allow from 10.0.0.0/8
# Add to nginx config:
location /wp-admin {
allow 192.168.1.0/24;
allow 10.0.0.0/8;
deny all;
}
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Remove the WP Free SSL plugin entirely and use alternative SSL/TLS solutions
- Implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to block unauthorized access to plugin endpoints
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check WordPress admin panel > Plugins > Installed Plugins for WP Free SSL version 1.2.6 or earlierCheck Version:
wp plugin get wp-free-ssl --field=versionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify plugin version shows 1.2.7 or later in WordPress admin panel📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unauthorized POST requests to /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php with wp_free_ssl actions
- Multiple failed authentication attempts followed by successful plugin configuration changes
Network Indicators:
- Unusual traffic patterns to WordPress admin endpoints from unexpected IP addresses
- HTTP requests containing 'action=wp_free_ssl' parameters
SIEM Query:
source="web_access.log" AND (uri_path="/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php" AND query="*wp_free_ssl*") AND NOT (src_ip IN [authorized_admin_ips])