CVE-2024-10669 in Countdown Timer Block Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 11/09/2024
The Countdown Timer block – Display the event's date into a timer. plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Information Exposure in all versions up to, and including, 1.2.4 via the [ctb] shortcode due to insufficient restrictions on which posts can be included. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Contributor-level access and above, to extract data from password protected, private, or draft posts that they should not have access to.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/09/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-10669 affects the Countdown Timer block plugin for WordPress, specifically targeting versions up to and including 1.2.4. This issue manifests through the [ctb] shortcode functionality which fails to properly enforce access controls when displaying timer information. The flaw represents a critical information exposure vulnerability that undermines the fundamental security model of WordPress by allowing unauthorized data access through improperly validated post retrieval mechanisms.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and access control checks within the plugin's shortcode processing logic. When the [ctb] shortcode is executed, it retrieves and displays timer information based on specified post parameters without adequately verifying whether the requesting user has proper authorization to access the targeted content. This weakness enables authenticated users with contributor-level privileges or higher to bypass standard WordPress access controls that typically restrict viewing of password protected, private, or draft posts. The vulnerability essentially creates a backdoor pathway through which privileged users can extract sensitive information from posts they should not be able to access.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to WordPress installations that rely on the Countdown Timer block plugin. Attackers with contributor-level access can exploit this flaw to gain unauthorized visibility into private content, potentially including sensitive business information, unpublished content, or confidential communications. The impact extends beyond simple information disclosure as it undermines the integrity of the content management system's permission model, potentially enabling further exploitation or social engineering attacks based on the extracted information. This vulnerability is particularly concerning in environments where multiple users with varying access levels collaborate on content management.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-200, which addresses information exposure, and represents a clear violation of the principle of least privilege in information security. From an attacker's perspective, this issue maps to ATT&CK technique T1213.002, which covers data from information repositories, as it allows for the extraction of sensitive data through improperly controlled access points. The flaw demonstrates poor input validation and access control implementation, making it a prime target for exploitation in environments where contributor-level accounts may be compromised or where attackers can escalate privileges through other means.
Organizations should immediately update to the latest version of the Countdown Timer block plugin once available, as the vulnerability affects all versions up to and including 1.2.4. System administrators should also implement additional monitoring for unusual shortcode usage patterns and conduct regular security audits to identify potential exploitation attempts. Temporary mitigations may include restricting contributor-level access to plugin functionalities or implementing additional access control layers through custom code modifications. The vulnerability highlights the importance of thorough security testing for WordPress plugins, particularly those that handle user-generated content or provide shortcode functionality that interacts with the core WordPress database access controls.