CVE-2024-12114 in FooGallery Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 03/08/2025
The FooGallery – Responsive Photo Gallery, Image Viewer, Justified, Masonry & Carousel plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Insecure Direct Object Reference in all versions up to, and including, 2.4.29 via the foogallery_attachment_modal_save AJAX action due to missing validation on a user controlled key (img_id). This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with granted access and above, to update arbitrary post and page content. This requires the Gallery Creator Role setting to be a value lower than 'Editor' for there to be any real impact.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/08/2025
The FooGallery plugin for WordPress presents a critical Insecure Direct Object Reference vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-12114 affecting versions through 2.4.29. This vulnerability resides within the foogallery_attachment_modal_save AJAX action handler which fails to properly validate user-controlled input parameters. The flaw specifically targets the img_id parameter that serves as a direct reference to WordPress post objects, creating an avenue for unauthorized data manipulation. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation mechanisms that should verify user permissions and object ownership before allowing modifications to occur. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-284 which categorizes insecure access control issues and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078.101 for valid accounts and T1213.002 for external remote services. The security implications extend beyond simple data exposure to include potential content injection and modification attacks.
Attackers exploiting this vulnerability require authenticated access with a role level equal to or greater than the Gallery Creator setting, which typically corresponds to roles such as Contributor or Author. However, when the Gallery Creator Role is configured to a level below Editor, the impact becomes significantly more severe as these lower-privileged users can manipulate content across the entire WordPress installation. The vulnerability operates by allowing malicious actors to submit crafted img_id values that reference arbitrary WordPress posts or pages, bypassing normal permission checks. This creates a scenario where authenticated users can modify content they would normally not have access to, effectively escalating their privileges within the context of the gallery management functionality. The flaw represents a classic case of missing authorization checks in web applications, where user input directly translates to system object references without proper validation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond immediate content modification to encompass potential data integrity compromises and content injection attacks. An attacker with appropriate privileges can manipulate gallery attachments and potentially inject malicious content into posts or pages through the gallery management interface. This vulnerability creates a persistent threat vector that can be exploited repeatedly, as long as the attacker maintains valid authentication credentials and the improper role configuration persists. The affected plugin's AJAX handling mechanism provides a direct pathway for exploitation without requiring complex attack chains or additional vulnerabilities. The vulnerability's persistence makes it particularly dangerous as it can be leveraged for extended periods without detection, especially when lower-level user roles are permitted to create gallery content.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate plugin updates to versions that address the validation flaw, combined with proper role configuration reviews. Administrators must ensure that Gallery Creator roles are appropriately configured to prevent unauthorized content modification, ideally restricting these roles to levels that do not permit arbitrary post updates. The implementation of proper input validation and authorization checks should be enforced at the application level, ensuring that all user-controlled parameters undergo strict verification before any object modification occurs. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual AJAX activity patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, implementing principle of least privilege configurations and regular security audits of user role assignments will help prevent similar vulnerabilities from manifesting in other plugin components. Organizations should also consider network-level monitoring and intrusion detection systems to identify and block suspicious AJAX requests that attempt to manipulate WordPress objects through gallery management interfaces.