CVE-2024-0588 in Paid Memberships Pro Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 04/09/2024
The Paid Memberships Pro – Content Restriction, User Registration, & Paid Subscriptions plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Cross-Site Request Forgery in all versions up to, and including, 2.12.10. This is due to missing nonce validation on the pmpro_lifter_save_streamline_option() function. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to enable the streamline setting with Lifter LMS via a forged request granted they can trick a site administrator into performing an action such as clicking on a link. CVE-2024-32793 and CVE-2024-32794 appear to be a duplicate of this issue.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/14/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-0588 affects the Paid Memberships Pro plugin for WordPress, specifically targeting versions up to and including 2.12.10. This represents a critical cross-site request forgery weakness that undermines the security posture of WordPress sites utilizing this membership management solution. The flaw resides within the pmpro_lifter_save_streamline_option() function which fails to implement proper nonce validation mechanisms, creating an exploitable pathway for malicious actors to manipulate plugin settings without authentication.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the absence of cryptographic nonce verification within the affected function. Nonce validation serves as a fundamental security control that ensures requests originate from legitimate administrative actions within the WordPress ecosystem. When this validation is omitted, attackers can construct malicious requests that appear to come from authenticated administrators, exploiting the trust relationship between the web application and its users. This particular flaw allows unauthenticated threat actors to manipulate the streamline setting within Lifter LMS integration, potentially enabling unauthorized modifications to content restriction policies and user access controls.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it creates a persistent risk for site administrators who may inadvertently trigger malicious requests through social engineering tactics such as phishing emails or compromised links. The attack vector requires minimal technical expertise from threat actors since they only need to convince an administrator to click on a malicious link, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where administrators frequently interact with external web content. This scenario aligns with the attack pattern described in the ATT&CK framework under privilege escalation and social engineering techniques, where adversaries leverage human factors to bypass technical controls.
The security implications of this vulnerability encompass potential unauthorized access to restricted content, manipulation of user subscription statuses, and possible data integrity compromise within the affected WordPress installations. Organizations using this plugin may experience unauthorized modifications to their membership systems, potentially leading to revenue loss, compliance violations, and reputational damage. The vulnerability's classification as a CSRF weakness maps directly to CWE-352, which specifically addresses cross-site request forgery vulnerabilities where applications fail to validate request origins and authenticity. This particular implementation flaw demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation and request authentication mechanisms in web applications.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching to versions that include proper nonce validation within the pmpro_lifter_save_streamline_option() function. System administrators should also implement additional security measures such as monitoring for unauthorized configuration changes, reviewing access logs for suspicious activity, and establishing robust user education programs to prevent social engineering attacks. The recommended approach aligns with the principle of defense in depth, where multiple layers of security controls work together to protect against various attack vectors. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and monitoring solutions that can detect anomalous requests targeting WordPress admin interfaces, particularly those attempting to modify plugin settings without proper authentication tokens.