CVE-2024-52410
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2024-52410 is a PHP object injection vulnerability in the Phoenixheart Referrer Detector WordPress plugin. Attackers can exploit insecure deserialization to execute arbitrary code, potentially compromising affected WordPress sites. All users running vulnerable versions (up to 4.2.1.0) are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- Phoenixheart Referrer Detector 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
Remote code execution leading to complete site takeover, data theft, malware deployment, and server compromise.
Likely Case
Unauthenticated attackers achieving remote code execution to install backdoors, deface websites, or steal sensitive data.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper input validation, output encoding, and security controls in place.
🎯 Exploit Status
Public exploit details exist, making weaponization likely. The vulnerability requires minimal technical skill to exploit.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 4.2.2.0 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://patchstack.com/database/vulnerability/referrer-detector/wordpress-referrer-detector-plugin-4-2-1-0-php-object-injection-vulnerability?_s_id=cve
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Log into WordPress admin panel. 2. Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins. 3. Find 'Referrer Detector' and click 'Update Now'. 4. Verify version is 4.2.2.0 or higher.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable Plugin
allTemporarily disable the vulnerable plugin until patched.
wp plugin deactivate referrer-detector
Restrict Access
allUse web application firewall to block suspicious deserialization attempts.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Remove the Referrer Detector plugin completely from the WordPress installation.
- Implement strict input validation and output encoding for all user-supplied data.
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check WordPress admin panel > Plugins > Installed Plugins for Referrer Detector version 4.2.1.0 or earlier.Check Version:
wp plugin get referrer-detector --field=versionVerify Fix Applied:
Confirm plugin version is 4.2.2.0 or higher in WordPress admin panel.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual POST requests to WordPress endpoints
- PHP object injection patterns in logs
- Unexpected plugin file modifications
Network Indicators:
- HTTP requests containing serialized PHP objects
- Suspicious traffic to /wp-content/plugins/referrer-detector/
SIEM Query:
source="wordpress.log" AND ("referrer-detector" OR "php object injection" OR "unserialize")