CVE-2024-1360 in Colibri WP Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 02/23/2024
The Colibri WP theme for WordPress is vulnerable to Cross-Site Request Forgery in all versions up to, and including, 1.0.94. This is due to missing or incorrect nonce validation on the colibriwp_install_plugin() function. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to install recommended plugins via a forged request granted they can trick a site administrator into performing an action such as clicking on a link.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/12/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-1360 affects the Colibri WP theme for WordPress, representing a critical cross-site request forgery weakness that impacts all versions up to and including 1.0.94. This security flaw resides within the theme's plugin installation mechanism and demonstrates a fundamental failure in authentication and authorization controls. The vulnerability stems from the absence of proper nonce validation within the colibriwp_install_plugin() function, which serves as a critical security measure for verifying legitimate user requests. The lack of this validation creates an exploitable pathway that allows attackers to manipulate the theme's plugin installation process without proper authentication.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability exploits the core principle of CSRF protection by bypassing the expected nonce verification mechanism. In WordPress security architecture, nonces serve as one-time tokens that ensure requests originate from legitimate sources within the same session. When these nonces are missing or improperly validated, attackers can craft malicious requests that appear to come from authenticated users. The colibriwp_install_plugin() function fails to implement proper nonce checks, making it possible for attackers to execute unauthorized plugin installations through crafted HTTP requests that target the vulnerable theme's administrative endpoints. This flaw directly violates the principle of least privilege and demonstrates inadequate input validation practices.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized plugin installations, as it provides attackers with a potential foothold for further compromise within the WordPress environment. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can install malicious plugins that may contain backdoors, malware, or other malicious code that could persist on the affected website. The attack vector requires social engineering to trick administrators into clicking malicious links, but once successful, the consequences can be severe including complete compromise of the WordPress installation, data exfiltration, or serving as a launching point for attacks against other systems within the network. The vulnerability's impact is particularly concerning because it affects a widely used theme and operates at the theme level, potentially affecting multiple sites running the vulnerable version.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2024-1360 should prioritize immediate remediation through updating to the latest version of the Colibri WP theme where the nonce validation has been properly implemented. Organizations should also implement additional defensive measures including network segmentation to limit access to administrative functions, implementing web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious requests, and conducting regular security audits of installed themes and plugins. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses cross-site request forgery weaknesses in web applications. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving initial access through social engineering and privilege escalation through malicious code installation. Security teams should also consider implementing automated monitoring for unauthorized plugin installations and establish incident response procedures to address potential exploitation of this vulnerability. Regular patch management processes should be enforced to ensure timely updates to all WordPress components and themes to prevent similar vulnerabilities from being exploited in the future.