CVE-2024-12410 in Front End Users Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 04/02/2025
The Front End Users plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to SQL Injection via the 'UserSearchField' parameter in all versions up to, and including, 3.2.32 due to insufficient escaping on the user supplied parameter and lack of sufficient preparation on the existing SQL query. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to append additional SQL queries into already existing queries that can be used to extract sensitive information from the database.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/13/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-12410 affects the Front End Users plugin for WordPress, a widely used tool that enables frontend user management capabilities. This plugin allows website administrators to create user registration forms and manage user accounts directly from the frontend of their WordPress sites. The vulnerability exists in all versions up to and including 3.2.32, making it a significant concern for WordPress installations that rely on this plugin for user management functionality. The flaw stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization practices within the plugin's codebase, specifically in how it handles user-supplied data when processing search queries.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs through the 'UserSearchField' parameter which is used to filter and search user records within the WordPress database. When an attacker submits malicious input through this parameter, the plugin fails to properly escape or sanitize the input before incorporating it into SQL queries. This represents a classic SQL injection vulnerability where the lack of proper input validation allows attackers to manipulate the intended database query structure. The vulnerability is classified as CWE-89 according to the Common Weakness Enumeration catalog, which specifically addresses SQL injection flaws that occur when untrusted data is incorporated into SQL commands without proper escaping or parameterization.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it allows unauthenticated attackers to exploit the system and extract sensitive information from the WordPress database. Attackers can construct malicious SQL queries that bypass authentication requirements and gain access to user credentials, personal information, and potentially administrative privileges. The vulnerability's accessibility means that any visitor to the website can potentially exploit this flaw without requiring prior authorization or login credentials. This type of attack falls under the ATT&CK technique T1071.004 for Application Layer Protocol: DNS, though more specifically aligns with T1213.002 for Data from Information Repositories, as it enables unauthorized access to stored data within the application's database layer. The extracted information could include user passwords, email addresses, personal profiles, and other sensitive data that could be used for further attacks or identity theft.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should be implemented immediately by updating the Front End Users plugin to the latest available version that contains the necessary security patches. Administrators should also consider implementing additional security measures such as web application firewalls that can detect and block malicious SQL injection attempts, database query logging to monitor for suspicious activity, and regular security audits of installed plugins. Input validation and sanitization should be enforced at multiple layers, including the application level and database level, to ensure that any potentially malicious input is properly handled before being processed. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper parameterization of SQL queries and adherence to secure coding practices that prevent user-supplied data from being directly incorporated into database commands without proper sanitization. Organizations should also implement monitoring systems that can detect unusual database access patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts, as this type of vulnerability can be used as a stepping stone for more sophisticated attacks within a compromised system.