CVE-2024-49617 – This vulnerability in the Back Link Tracker Wor... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2024-49617?

CVE-2024-49617 has a CVSS score of 8.2 (HIGH). This vulnerability in the Back Link Tracker WordPress plugin allows attackers to perform Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) attacks that lead to Blind SQL Injection. When exploited, attackers can manipulate database queries without the victim's knowledge. All WordPress sites using Back Link Tracker version 1.0.0 or earlier are affected.

📋 TL;DR

This vulnerability in the Back Link Tracker WordPress plugin allows attackers to perform Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) attacks that lead to Blind SQL Injection. When exploited, attackers can manipulate database queries without the victim's knowledge. All WordPress sites using Back Link Tracker version 1.0.0 or earlier are affected.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Bhaskar Dhote Back Link Tracker WordPress Plugin

Versions: n/a through 1.0.0

Operating Systems: Any OS running WordPress

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Requires WordPress installation with the vulnerable plugin activated.

📦 What is this software?

Back Link Tracker by Bhaskardhote

View all CVEs affecting Back Link Tracker →

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Complete database compromise allowing data theft, modification, or deletion, potentially leading to site takeover or credential harvesting.

🟠

Likely Case

Unauthorized database access leading to data exfiltration, privilege escalation, or site defacement.

🟢

If Mitigated

Limited impact with proper CSRF protections and input validation in place.

🌐 Internet-Facing: HIGH

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: LIKELY

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: LOW

Exploitation requires tricking authenticated users into visiting malicious pages. CSRF to SQL injection chain makes this particularly dangerous.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: 1.0.1 or later

Vendor Advisory: https://patchstack.com/database/vulnerability/back-link-tracker/wordpress-back-link-tracker-plugin-1-0-0-csrf-to-sql-injection-vulnerability?_s_id=cve

Restart Required: No

Instructions:

1. Log into WordPress admin panel. 2. Navigate to Plugins. 3. Find Back Link Tracker. 4. Click Update Now. 5. Verify version is 1.0.1 or higher.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable Plugin

all

Temporarily disable the vulnerable plugin until patched.

wp plugin deactivate back-link-tracker

Implement CSRF Protection

all

Add WordPress nonce verification to all plugin forms and AJAX requests.

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to block SQL injection patterns
Restrict plugin access to trusted users only and monitor database logs

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check WordPress admin panel > Plugins > Back Link Tracker version. If version is 1.0.0 or earlier, you are vulnerable.

Check Version:

wp plugin get back-link-tracker --field=version

Verify Fix Applied:

After updating, verify plugin version shows 1.0.1 or higher in WordPress admin.

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Unusual database queries from web server process
Multiple failed SQL queries with similar patterns
CSRF token validation failures

Network Indicators:

POST requests to plugin endpoints without referrer headers
Suspicious SQL patterns in HTTP parameters

SIEM Query:

source="wordpress.log" AND ("back-link-tracker" OR "sql" OR "union" OR "select")

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2024-49617

CVSS v3 Score: 8.2 (HIGH)

CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:L

CWE: CWE-352

Published: October 20, 2024

Last Updated: October 22, 2024

🔗 References

https://patchstack.com/database/vulnerability/back-link-tracker/wordpress-back-link-tracker-plugin-1-0-0-csrf-to-sql-injection-vulnerability?_s_id=cve Third Party Advisory

📤 Share & Export

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🔗 Related Vulnerabilities

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