CVE-2024-53778
📋 TL;DR
This CSRF vulnerability in the Essential Breadcrumbs WordPress plugin allows attackers to trick authenticated administrators into performing actions without their consent, leading to stored cross-site scripting (XSS). Attackers can inject malicious scripts that execute in users' browsers when they visit affected pages. All WordPress sites using vulnerable versions of Essential Breadcrumbs are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- Essential Breadcrumbs 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
Attackers could inject persistent malicious scripts that steal session cookies, redirect users to phishing sites, or perform actions as authenticated users, potentially compromising the entire WordPress site.
Likely Case
Attackers create fake admin interfaces or links that trick administrators into executing actions that inject malicious JavaScript, leading to session hijacking or defacement of the site.
If Mitigated
With proper CSRF tokens and input validation, the attack would fail as requests would be rejected without valid tokens.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires social engineering to trick authenticated users, but the technical complexity is low once the user is tricked.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 1.1.2 or later
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Log into WordPress admin panel. 2. Go to Plugins > Installed Plugins. 3. Find Essential Breadcrumbs and click 'Update Now' if available. 4. Alternatively, download version 1.1.2+ from WordPress repository and manually update.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable Plugin
allTemporarily disable the Essential Breadcrumbs plugin until patched.
wp plugin deactivate essential-breadcrumbs
Implement CSRF Protection
allAdd custom CSRF tokens to plugin forms if you have development access.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict admin access to trusted networks only
- Implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to block CSRF attempts
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check WordPress admin > Plugins > Installed Plugins for Essential Breadcrumbs version. If version is 1.1.1 or earlier, you are vulnerable.Check Version:
wp plugin get essential-breadcrumbs --field=versionVerify Fix Applied:
After update, verify Essential Breadcrumbs version is 1.1.2 or later in WordPress admin.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual POST requests to wp-admin/admin-ajax.php with breadcrumb-related actions
- Multiple failed CSRF token validations
Network Indicators:
- Unexpected iframe or form submissions from external sites to your WordPress admin
SIEM Query:
source="wordpress.log" AND ("essential-breadcrumbs" OR "breadcrumb") AND (POST OR admin-ajax)