CVE-2024-0431 in Gestpay for WooCommerce Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 02/28/2024
The Gestpay for WooCommerce plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Cross-Site Request Forgery in all versions up to, and including, 20221130. This is due to missing or incorrect nonce validation on the 'ajax_set_default_card' function. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to set the default card token for a user via a forged request granted they can trick a site administrator into performing an action such as clicking on a link.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/26/2025
The CVE-2024-0431 vulnerability affects the Gestpay for WooCommerce plugin, a payment processing solution integrated with WordPress e-commerce platforms. This vulnerability represents a critical security flaw that undermines the integrity of user payment token management within the plugin's functionality. The issue specifically targets the ajax_set_default_card function which handles the assignment of default payment cards for users. The vulnerability exists because the plugin fails to implement proper nonce validation mechanisms, creating a pathway for malicious actors to manipulate payment token assignments without proper authentication or authorization.
The technical exploitation of this CSRF vulnerability occurs through the absence of cryptographic nonce verification in the ajax_set_default_card endpoint. A nonce is a randomly generated value that ensures requests originate from legitimate sources and prevents unauthorized modifications to user data. Without proper nonce validation, attackers can craft malicious requests that appear to come from authenticated users, particularly targeting site administrators who may unknowingly trigger these requests through social engineering tactics. This flaw directly maps to CWE-352, which defines Cross-Site Request Forgery vulnerabilities as those that allow attackers to perform actions on behalf of authenticated users without their knowledge or consent.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data manipulation to potentially compromise user payment information and financial transactions. When an administrator clicks on a malicious link or visits a compromised website, the forged request could silently update a user's default payment card token, redirecting future payments to attacker-controlled accounts. This creates a significant risk for e-commerce platforms using the affected plugin, as it enables unauthorized financial transactions and potential fraud. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it requires minimal user interaction beyond the initial social engineering component, making it a highly effective attack vector for threat actors targeting WordPress sites with WooCommerce implementations.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2024-0431 should prioritize immediate plugin updates to versions that properly implement nonce validation for the ajax_set_default_card function. System administrators must also implement additional security measures including monitoring for suspicious administrative activities, conducting regular security audits of installed plugins, and establishing proper user access controls. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of implementing proper input validation and authentication mechanisms for all AJAX endpoints in web applications, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1566 for social engineering and T1071 for application layer protocols. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and monitoring solutions to detect and prevent CSRF attacks targeting their payment processing systems. The incident underscores the critical need for continuous security testing of third-party plugins and the importance of maintaining up-to-date security practices in WordPress environments to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive user financial data.