CVE-2024-56215
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes a Missing Authorization vulnerability in the WordPress Member Directory and Contact Form plugin that allows unauthorized users to access functionality intended only for authenticated users. All WordPress sites using this plugin version 1.7.0 or earlier are affected. The vulnerability stems from incorrectly configured access control security levels.
💻 Affected Systems
- WordPress Member Directory and Contact Form 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
Unauthenticated attackers could access sensitive member directory data, modify contact form submissions, or potentially perform administrative actions if other vulnerabilities are chained.
Likely Case
Unauthorized users accessing member directory information or contact form data they shouldn't have access to, potentially exposing personal information.
If Mitigated
Limited exposure if proper network segmentation and additional authentication layers are in place.
🎯 Exploit Status
The vulnerability is a straightforward access control bypass that doesn't require special conditions or complex exploitation.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 1.7.1 or later
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Log into WordPress admin panel. 2. Navigate to Plugins → Installed Plugins. 3. Find 'Member Directory and Contact Form'. 4. Click 'Update Now' if available. 5. If no update appears, manually download version 1.7.1+ from WordPress.org and replace plugin files.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable Plugin
allTemporarily disable the vulnerable plugin until patched.
wp plugin deactivate pta-member-directory
Restrict Access via .htaccess
linuxAdd access restrictions to plugin directories via web server configuration.
# Add to .htaccess in plugin directory:
Order Deny,Allow
Deny from all
Allow from 127.0.0.1
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to block unauthorized access to plugin endpoints
- Add additional authentication layer or IP whitelisting for member directory access
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check WordPress admin → Plugins → Installed Plugins for 'Member Directory and Contact Form' version 1.7.0 or earlier.Check Version:
wp plugin get pta-member-directory --field=versionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify plugin version is 1.7.1 or later in WordPress admin panel.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unauthorized access attempts to /wp-content/plugins/pta-member-directory/ endpoints
- 403 errors followed by 200 success codes for same endpoints
Network Indicators:
- Unusual traffic patterns to plugin-specific endpoints from unauthenticated users
SIEM Query:
source="wordpress.log" AND (uri_path="/wp-content/plugins/pta-member-directory/*" AND status=200) AND NOT user_agent="WordPress/*"