CVE-2024-1181 in Coming Soon, Under Construction & Maintenance Mode Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 03/20/2024
The Coming Soon, Under Construction & Maintenance Mode By Dazzler plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to maintenance mode bypass in all versions up to, and including, 2.1.2. This is due to the plugin relying on the REQUEST_URI to determine if the page being accesses is an admin area. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to bypass maintenance mode and access the site which may be considered confidential when in maintenance mode.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/13/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-1181 affects the Coming Soon, Under Construction & Maintenance Mode By Dazzler plugin for WordPress, representing a critical security flaw that undermines the intended protection mechanisms of maintenance mode functionality. This issue exists in all versions up to and including 2.1.2, making it a widespread concern for WordPress administrators who rely on this plugin to safeguard their sites during maintenance periods. The vulnerability stems from the plugin's improper handling of access control mechanisms, specifically its reliance on the REQUEST_URI parameter to determine administrative access levels, which creates a significant security gap that can be exploited by malicious actors.
The technical flaw manifests through the plugin's flawed logic in determining whether a user accessing the site is authenticated or authorized to view administrative areas. By depending on the REQUEST_URI parameter, which can be manipulated through crafted HTTP requests, the plugin fails to properly validate user credentials or session states before granting access to maintenance mode protected areas. This design decision creates a direct bypass path where unauthenticated attackers can construct specific URL requests that circumvent the intended access controls, effectively allowing them to view and interact with content that should remain restricted during maintenance periods. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control issues, specifically focusing on inadequate privilege management and authentication enforcement.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access to potentially expose sensitive site information, configurations, and content that administrators intend to keep confidential during maintenance operations. Attackers can exploit this weakness to gain visibility into site structure, potentially uncovering sensitive data, user information, or administrative interfaces that would normally be hidden. This exposure creates risks for data integrity and confidentiality, particularly when maintenance mode is used to protect sites undergoing security updates, content modifications, or other sensitive operations. The vulnerability can be leveraged for reconnaissance purposes, allowing attackers to gather intelligence about the site's functionality and potentially identify additional attack vectors, making it a significant concern for organizations that rely on maintenance mode as part of their security posture.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement mitigations including updating to the latest version of the plugin where the issue has been resolved, or applying temporary workarounds such as implementing additional access controls at the web server level. Network administrators should monitor for suspicious access patterns and consider implementing rate limiting or access restriction rules to prevent automated exploitation attempts. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this type of vulnerability under T1071.004 for application layer protocol usage and T1566 for credential harvesting, as attackers can potentially use this bypass to escalate privileges or gain additional access to the system. Additionally, implementing proper input validation and access control mechanisms at multiple layers of the application stack can help prevent similar issues in the future, aligning with security best practices outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and NIST cybersecurity frameworks.