CVE-2024-54420
📋 TL;DR
This CSRF vulnerability in the Aleksander Novikov Metrika WordPress plugin allows attackers to trick authenticated administrators into performing unintended actions. Attackers could inject malicious scripts that execute when other users visit affected pages. All WordPress sites using Metrika plugin versions up to 1.2 are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- Aleksander Novikov Metrika 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 XSS payloads that execute in visitors' browsers, potentially stealing session cookies, redirecting to malicious sites, or performing actions as authenticated users.
Likely Case
Attackers create fake admin interfaces or links that trick administrators into changing plugin settings or injecting malicious scripts that affect site visitors.
If Mitigated
With proper CSRF tokens and same-origin policies, the attack fails as requests from malicious sites are rejected.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires tricking authenticated administrators into clicking malicious links or visiting crafted pages.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 1.3 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://patchstack.com/database/wordpress/plugin/metrika/vulnerability/wordpress-metrika-plugin-1-2-csrf-to-stored-xss-vulnerability?_s_id=cve
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Log into WordPress admin panel. 2. Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins. 3. Find Metrika plugin. 4. Click 'Update Now' if available. 5. If no update available, deactivate and delete plugin, then install fresh version 1.3+ from WordPress repository.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Implement CSRF Protection Headers
allAdd Content-Security-Policy headers to restrict script sources
Add to .htaccess: Header set Content-Security-Policy "script-src 'self'"
Add to nginx config: add_header Content-Security-Policy "script-src 'self'";
Temporary Plugin Deactivation
allDisable Metrika plugin until patched
wp plugin deactivate metrika
Or via WordPress admin: Plugins > Installed Plugins > Metrika > Deactivate
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict same-origin policies and CSRF tokens in application layer
- Restrict admin panel access to specific IP addresses using firewall rules
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check WordPress admin panel > Plugins > Installed Plugins for Metrika version. If version is 1.2 or lower, you are vulnerable.Check Version:
wp plugin list --name=metrika --field=versionVerify Fix Applied:
After update, verify Metrika plugin shows version 1.3 or higher in WordPress admin plugins list.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Multiple POST requests to /wp-admin/admin.php from unexpected referrers
- Unusual plugin setting changes in WordPress logs
Network Indicators:
- Cross-origin requests to WordPress admin endpoints with missing CSRF tokens
- Unexpected referrer headers in admin panel requests
SIEM Query:
source="wordpress.log" AND (uri_path="/wp-admin/admin.php" AND http_method="POST" AND NOT referrer CONTAINS "your-domain.com")