CVE-2024-52421
📋 TL;DR
A Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in the WordPress WP Popup Window Maker plugin allows attackers to perform actions as authenticated users, leading to stored cross-site scripting (XSS). This affects WordPress sites using WP Popup Window Maker plugin versions up to 2.0. Attackers can inject malicious scripts that execute when users view affected pages.
💻 Affected Systems
- WordPress WP Popup Window Maker 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 inject malicious JavaScript that steals administrator credentials, redirects users to malicious sites, or performs administrative actions on the WordPress site without authorization.
Likely Case
Attackers inject malicious popups or scripts that display unwanted content, redirect users to advertising sites, or steal session cookies from logged-in users.
If Mitigated
With proper CSRF protections and content security policies, the attack surface is reduced, though the vulnerability still exists in the codebase.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires social engineering to trick authenticated users. The CSRF to stored XSS chain is well-documented and relatively easy to implement.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 2.0.1 or later
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Log into WordPress admin panel. 2. Navigate to Plugins → Installed Plugins. 3. Find 'WP Popup Window Maker' and click 'Update Now'. 4. Alternatively, download the latest version from WordPress.org and manually update via FTP.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable plugin temporarily
allDeactivate the WP Popup Window Maker plugin until patched
wp plugin deactivate easy-popup-lightbox-maker
Implement CSRF tokens
allAdd custom CSRF protection to plugin forms if you have development access
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Disable the WP Popup Window Maker plugin completely
- Implement a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with CSRF and XSS protection rules
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check WordPress admin → Plugins → Installed Plugins for 'WP Popup Window Maker' version. If version is 2.0 or earlier, you are vulnerable.Check Version:
wp plugin get easy-popup-lightbox-maker --field=versionVerify Fix Applied:
After updating, verify the plugin version shows 2.0.1 or higher in WordPress admin panel.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual POST requests to wp-admin/admin-ajax.php with popup-related actions
- Multiple failed CSRF token validations in WordPress logs
Network Indicators:
- Unexpected JavaScript injections in popup content
- Cross-origin requests to plugin endpoints without referrer validation
SIEM Query:
source="wordpress.log" AND ("wp-popup-window-maker" OR "easy-popup-lightbox-maker") AND ("admin-ajax" OR "csrf")